SPLOST: Now comes the hard part

The result will depend upon whether voters base their decisions on emotion or on a careful analysis of the options. For all the rhetoric against taxation and the allegations that there have been misuses of SPLOST in the past, a compelling case can be made for extending the tax.
Proponents of the tax must make that case. They will have to show the voters not only where the future dollars will be put to use, but demonstrate the value received from previous rounds of SPLOST. They’ll have to show that any misuses of SPLOST are isolated, related to minor dollar amounts and will not be repeated. They’ll have to paint a clear picture of what the consequences of failing to pass the SPLOST will be, particularly in Jackson County, where $23.7 million would go to retire debt.

They must also make the case that a large percentage — the figure 40 percent has been used in the past — of the total money collected will come from out-of-county residents, particularly those shopping at the Tanger Outlets in Commerce. Since Jackson County residents will pay that penny of tax in Athens, Winder, Gainesville, the Walmart at Banks Crossing or the Mall of Georgia regardless of how the Jackson SPLOST vote falls, getting a boost here from nonresident taxpayers helps offset the loss of revenue from Jackson County’s residents who leave the county to shop.

Fair enough.

Proponents of the tax must overcome the anti-government anger of the voters with hard data, convincing them that it really is in their best interest financially to extend the tax. They must demonstrate not just that the money will be used prudently, but also that citizens will benefit from the tax through the reduction of public debt (and therefore taxes), improved recreational opportunities, better streets, etc. Given the political climate, that may be a hard sell, but if the case for the tax can’t be made successfully, then SPLOST deserves to be terminated.

The Jackson County Area Chamber of Commerce will lead the campaign to get SPLOST approved. It has its work cut out for it, but the chamber should be able to make a strong case for the SPLOST extension by making sure people have the information to weigh the benefits of the tax against the consequences of letting it expire.