David Pennington, the mayor of Dalton, Ga., stands inside of the City Hall facility.DALTON, Ga.-Local leaders say they are relieved state legislators did not vote to move a transportation tax vote until next year’s general election — but for different reasons.
Dalton Mayor David Pennington strongly opposes the tax and thinks the vote will be less likely to pass in the July primaries, when it now is scheduled to be held.
Whitfield County Chairman Mike Babb, who says the 15-county area needs the money raised from the tax for infrastructure, noted the deal to change the vote date likely would have included a requirement that all sales tax referendums be held on primary elections. That would have jeopardized the vote on the 1 percent sales tax that Whitfield County commissioners plan to hold this November.
“It would have prevented us from having a SPLOST tax vote except during a major election,” Babb said.
The deal to move the tax vote — allowing 12 regions around the state to ask voters whether to hike their sales tax by 1 cent to pay for transportation projects — collapsed late Wednesday evening. Tea party advocates, who oppose the tax, fought to have it remain on the July ballot.