Sloan urges support of ESPLOST
Editor,
The Catoosa County Democratic Party urges all the voters to support the Education Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (ESPLOST). Established by the state legislature in 1996, as a way to finance school construction without raising property taxes on already stressed homeowners, ESPLOST has been a tremendous success in Catoosa County and has enabled our students to attend some of the finest schools in our state. Much of the growth of Catoosa County can be directly attributed to the quality of our schools, which could not have happened without the one penny local tax. The money can only be spent for capital expenditures such as new classrooms and schools, maintenance and renovation of schools, and the purchase of technology and buses. The vote is a continuation of the current rate of 7% sales tax and not an increase. It does allow the cost of work to be shared with shoppers from all over who make their purchases here in Catoosa County; not borne by property owners alone. Projects included for work are spread across the county with both LFO and Ringgold High Schools receiving considerable upgrades. Projects can be reviewed on the Catoosa County Public Schools website.
Bruce E. Sloan, Ph.D., Chair, Catoosa County Democratic Party