SPLOST Renewal on the Ballot in MoCo

Early voting for the Montgomery County Special Election began on Monday, February 24, as the renewal of the county’s educational Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) is on the ballot.

The one-cent sales tax has been in place in Montgomery County since 2002, and allows a one-cent tax to be collected on goods and services sold within the community so that everyone may contribute to funding education, alleviating some of the tax burden from property owners within the county. This one-cent tax is collected on any items or services bought or even delivered to locations within Montgomery County.

Montgomery County Schools has received funding through SPLOST continued from page

since 2002 and has capitalized on this money to help provide several needed items and upgrades to the school, including: • e construction of the new Montgomery County Middle/High School, which has no lingering debt • e update of athletic facility lighting • e purchase of new buses with air conditioning and security cameras • e repair of several facility roofs • e renovations of Brogdon Field • e purchase of a new softball field scoreboard • e purchase of class –

room cameras • e purchase of band equipment • e replacement and repair of numerous outdated HVAC units • e purchase of new chromebooks • e update of exterior lighting on campus • e upgrade of com –

puter network servers • e improvement of sidewalks on campus • e purchase of new playground equipment • e purchase of a band trailer • e update of class –

room technology • e upgrade of the Montgomery County Elementary School sign Since adding the tax onto online purchases that are shipped to the County, the Montgomery County School System receives an average of $1 million per year in funding from this source.

Voters will be able to cast their ballot on whether or not the SPLOST will be renewed in the upcoming Special Election, which is slated for March 18.

Early voting for the election will begin on February 24, and will run from 8:30 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. on Monday through Friday each week until March 14. Two Saturday voting days are also available on March 1 and March 8, and will be open from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. Early voting will be held at the Montgomery County Government Annex, located at 251 S. Richardson St. in Mount Vernon.

Voting will be open from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. on election day at the various precincts within the county; to learn where your designated precinct is located, contact the Montgomery County Board of Elections and Registration office at (912) 583-2580.

HELPING ALLEVIATE BURDEN – The Special Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) has helped to alleviate the burden of several purchase and upgrade costs from property taxes, and allows visitors and citizens alike to contribute to the Montgomery County School System.Photo by Makaylee Randolph