From Staff Reports
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Whitfield County voters approved a 1 percent Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax for education (ESPLOST) in July. But the tax won’t go into effect until Jan. 1, 2013.
Whitfield County Tax Commissioner Danny Sane says the state will send notices in December to all vendors to begin collecting that tax in January.
“They are told the month before the tax goes into effect,” Sane said.
Whitfield County voters approved the new tax by 53.69 percent (6,095 votes) to 46.31 percent (5,257) during the July 31 general primary. It is projected to raise $105 million over five years, with Whitfield County Schools receiving $68.65 million and Dalton Public Schools getting $36.35 million.
County school officials have said they’ll use their funding to pay back about $36 million in debt from previous school projects when they — with voter approval — borrowed more money than they could pay back during the last ESPLOST. They’ll use the rest of the money on a list of smaller improvements, such as new air conditioning and heating units and sewer improvements, at several schools.
City school officials have said they’ll use their funding to expand Dalton Middle School and Morris Innovative High School. They also have a list of smaller projects to improve several other school buildings.
