SPLOST vote today

Misty Watson

CHATSWORTH — Murray County voters are being asked today if they want to continue an educational SPLOST for the next five years to pay for a new high school.

Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The proposed five-year Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax is expected to collect approximately $30 million. Collection would begin on July 1. Collection on the current five-year SPLOST will end June 30. That SPLOST is expected to collect $22 million in all and has paid for Bagley Middle and Woodlawn Elementary schools.

The main project to be paid for with the SPLOST being voted on today is a new high school, which is expected to cost between $35 and $40 million. Officials say the county has outgrown its only high school and needs another.

A new roof for the current high school, expected to cost approximately $2 million, would also be paid for out of the SPLOST.

Since the cost of a new high school exceeds the amount school officials expect to collect during the next five years, they are asking for the school system to issue $35 million in bonds over 10 years. If the SPLOST and bonds pass, but another SPLOST does not pass in five years, property taxes will be raised under state law to back the bonds, officials said.

Bonds are used by the school system to borrow money at a low-interest rate so projects can begin immediately. The bonds are paid back each month through the SPLOST collections. But since the SPLOST being voted on today would only be collected for five years, another SPLOST would have to be approved by county voters in 2012 to keep property tax rates from increasing.

If the SPLOST passes but the bond question doesn't, there may not be a new high school built any time soon, school officials say.

State law requires school systems to have all the money needed to finish a project before it is started, so if the bond option does not pass a new high school could not be built until all the money has been collected for it, school officials say. Since construction rates continue to rise, they say enough money may not ever be raised to fund a new high school.

School officials are still unsure of details of the new high school, such as where it would be built and what design would be used. The Board of Education met Monday night with the members of a land acquisition committee to discuss possible places to buy land, but no decisions were made. Land acquisition meetings are typically held in executive session closed to the public.

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The first question on the ballot asks:

Shall the Board of Education of Murray County be authorized to issue a total of $35 million in aggregate principal amount of Murray County School District General Obligation Bonds, Series 2007, to pay the cost of acquiring land for and constructing and equipping a new comprehensive high school, which may include middle school classrooms and facilities, and of constructing and installing a new roof and related improvements at Murray County High School?

The second question asks:

Shall a 1 percent sales and use tax be imposed in the Murray County School District for a period of time not to exceed 20 consecutive calendar quarters and for the raising of not more than $30 million to pay for the following capital outlay projects: a portion of the costs for acquiring land for and constructing and equipping a new comprehensive high school, which may include middle school classrooms and facilities; a new roof and related facilities at Murray County High School; renovations and improvements to existing buildings; new middle school classrooms, facilities and renovations; renovations and improvements to the old rock school building on the Ninth Grade Academy Campus; system-wide renovations, improvements and technology upgrades and equipment; and repaying principal and interest on Murray County School District Obligation Bond, Series 2007, if approved?