ESPLOST vote to be held on March 16 Land development underway for Waterside subdivision

Gordon County voters will cast ballots to determine whether to continue the already existing 1-cent Education Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (eSPLOST) for local schools on March 16. If approved, the tax would be extended through June 2027. If voted down, it would expire in June 2022.

First approved in July 2021 and renewed under a November 2015 referendum, the tax has historically been used to fund big construction projects or necessary renovations at both Gordon County and Calhoun City Schools. The education resolution on the ballot would also allow the county school system to issue general obligation bonds, not to exceed $25 million, for that same purpose.

Jim Fell, an attorney working with the school systems, said the decision to allow the issue of those bonds would be decided by voters only in the Gordon County school district.

“What we’ve done in elections past and plan to do again this time is make sure there are two vote totals, one for inside the City of Calhoun and one for outside Calhoun so that when the county does issue

those bonds, we can validate and confirm the majority of voters in the county district approved it,” he said.

The net proceeds of the eSPLOST, if approved in March, would be distributed between the two districts according to the ratio of full-time student enrollment in each as of October 2020. Calhoun City Schools would, therefore, receive 39.8% of the collection, or $24,676,000, while Gordon County Schools would receive 60.2% or $37324,000. Up to $9,962,000 of the total tax proceeds received by Calhoun City Schools would also be put toward paying the general obligation debt of previously-issued bonds

for middle and high school construction.

The biggest potential eSPLOST-funded projects outlined so far for the two

systems are the acquisition and installation of new computers and technologies, renovations and modifications at Gordon County

Schools and the construction of an Early Learning Academy for Calhoun City Schools.

Other items discussed by the Boards of Education in December included parking lot improvements and expansions, HVAC repairs and replacement and work to athletic facilities and fields.

Early voting will begin Feb. 22 and run through March 12 from 8:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. at the Gordon County Board of Elections Office, now located at 408 Court Street, right across the street from their previous office. Signs will be in place to help direct voters to the correct location during voting periods.

All precincts will be open for voting on Election Day, March 16, as well the office itself.

Grading and utilities work continues at the site of Smith Douglas Homes development Waterside, a subdivision that will feature ranch and two-story houses in the high 100s. The development sits on a nearly 20 acre parcel inside the city limits.

Blake Silvers Advertised as craftsman style houses in the high 100s, the Smith Douglas Homes Waterside development is across Dews Pond Road from the near completed Willowbrook at the Villages subdivision.

File Early voting will begin Feb. 22 and run through March 12 from 8:30 a.m. until 5 p.m., with all precincts open for voting on Election Day, March 16