Walker voters to decide on education tax renewal
Walker County voters are considering a 1% special educational sales and use tax that could generate up to $37 million to benefit public schools.
Early voting is underway on the ESPLOST IV (Education Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax) at the Walker County Courthouse from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday until March 12 and from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on special election day, Tuesday, March 16; early voting for the Chickamauga ESPLOST and city bond question is on the same dates and times at the Chickamauga Civic Center. The elections office drop box beside the Walker County Courthouse will not be available for the March 16 special election.
“As of 12:30 today (March 4), 168 in-person and 11 absentee by mail (ESPLOST ballots) have been received,” said Danielle Montgomery,
Walker County elections director, said March 4. In Chickamauga, 49 in-person ballots had been cast.
Turnout for special elections is usually low. In 2015, 1,330 (or 4.87% of the county’s 27,300 registered voters) voted in a special election in 2015, Montgomery said, adding that the county elections office is conducting the City of Chickamauga’s election.
ESPLOST IV, if approved, will go into effect after the current ESPLOST, ESPLOST V, ends in June 2022.
Superintendent Damon Raines stresses the importance of this special election.
“Numerous projects would not have happened due to cost and lack of funding for projects if E-SPLOST funds were not available,” Raines said. “The capital outlay program through the Department of Education is based on accumulating funds over time based on your enrollment, growth and system need.
“Systems may then make application for the funds available and begin a project; however, the amount typically does not cover the entire cost of the project and has to be supplemented,” he explained. “Based on the amount accumulated, we would then be forced to choose the one or two projects that will fit with the accumulated funds; other projects or needs would have to be either put on hold or not considered.”
According to the referendum, the ESPLOST is expected to raise approximately $31,968,000 (86.4%) for the Walker County School District. The proposed projects in priority order include:
Renovations and modifications to 15 existing school properties to include school food service renovations, paving, restriping and lighting of parking lots and entrance roads;
Technology-acquisition and upgrading of devices, infrastructure, safety and security, and other related resources for schools, teachers and staff;
Replacement of school system fleet vehicles to include school buses, maintenance and school food service vehicles;
Athletic fields-improvements, maintenance, upgrades, artificial turf and resurfacing/replacement of tennis courts;
Auxiliary gymnasium(s) at four middle schools;
Central Office projects, which include exterior and interior renovations at the Old LaFayette High School and Advancing Education Center (AEC) locations; and
♦ New high school (based on enrollment, availability of State Capital Outlay funds and other factors).
The school system will dedicate funds from E-SPLOST VI for the renovations and modifications at each school building due to their ages, which includes aging HVAC systems and units that are a priority, Raines said.
School administrators would also eliminate the addition of the auxiliary gymnasiums at the middle schools; this additional space is needed to allow middle school students in after-school activities to have the necessary space for simultaneous practice time and to get them home at a much earlier time for homework, supper with family and some down time prior to coming back to school the next day.
“The final priority item that comes to mind is technology and safety,” he said, adding that school officials continue to assess each building’s safety, as well as think about the changes in technology that facilitate learning for students. If funds are not available, these considerations would not happen or be implemented.
“It is always a good idea to take advantage of the right to vote, whether early voting or the day of the vote,” Raines said. “This allows our citizens to validate the amazing work that is being done on the campuses of all Walker County Schools and have a voice with our Board of Education.
“It also gives communities a way to approve that funds are being used appropriately, wisely and with integrity as this is the goal of the School System as we work together to make Walker County a better place to live, work, educate children and prepare them for their future,” he concluded.
The projected E-SPLOST collections for Walker County Schools from 1997 through Sept. 30, 2020, are $102.6 million, according to the school system.
Chickamauga schools
Melody Day, chief of Chickamauga City Schools, also hammers home the importance of continuing the special sales tax to fund construction projects.
When Day became superintendent of Chickamauga schools in 2000, the district was the next to the poorest school district of 180 school districts in Georgia, Day said. Although the school system has climbed to 167 of 180 districts in the state due to some industry and retail growth, the system is still the 13th poorest district in the state, showing the need that is always present in the district.
“We plan very well, watch every penny we have and always stretch our dollars to provide the best we can for our students,” she said.
“As for the current ESPLOST, I do want to stress it is not a new tax nor a tax increase,” she said. “It is an extension of the 1-cent tax that began in 1997. If renewed, the tax rate will not increase, and the renewal will only start after the current E-SPLOST expires.
“E-SPLOST funds must be used for capital projects and cannot be used for salaries and operations. E-SPLOST funds offset property taxes and helps keep property taxes stable,” she said. “And, anyone who spends money in Walker County is funding the E-SPLOST; that means visitors/tourists who visit our area, along with residents all help fund the ESPLOST.”
The remaining $5,032,000 (13.6%) would be received by the Chickamauga Board of Education. The proposed projects include:
Electrical upgrades and replacement of the fire alarm system at Chickamauga Elementary School;
♦ Replacement of the fire alarm system at Gordon Lee Middle School;
♦ Replacement of artificial turf at Gordon Lee High School football field;
♦ System-wide improvements for drainage and flooding issues;
♦ Acquisition, construction and equipping of new educational buildings, athletic sites and facilities;
♦ Acquisition and installation of system-wide security and safety equipment;
♦ Acquisition, installation and upgrading of system-wide technology and equipment, including computers, text books and e-books;
♦ Renovations, improvements and equipping of existing educational buildings, athletic sites, properties and facilities;
♦ Acquisition of any property, both real and personal, and equipment necessary in connection with the above described capital outlay projects, and
Acquisition of real property for future schools, facilities, administrative offices, athletic sites, support services and other purposes of the City of Chickamauga
School System.
“Without an E-SPLOST, many of these projects will not occur, and it will take a much longer period of time to address even the most crucial ones concerning, electrical wiring, fire alarms and flooding,” Day said.
“We appreciate the support of public education by our community and hope everyone will take advantage of their opportunity to vote,” she said. “I can assure you every student in our school districts will benefit.”
If voters approve the tax, the general obligation debt of the Walker County School District in the principal amount of $16.5 million and $3 million for Chickamauga schools the purpose of financing the costs of the listed capital outlay projects.
City bond referendum
Chickamauga residents will also consider a bond, not to exceed $2.1 million to acquire, construct and install the following capital projects:
♦ Business district economic development and improvement projects;
Street improvements; Utility system upgrades; City parks, playgrounds and ballfields improvements;
♦ Government vehicles, garbage trucks, city emergency and utility communications and technology equipment;
♦ Government buildings renovations, equipment and technology upgrades; and
♦ Train depot improvements.
The bond will also cover paying capitalized interest on such bonds and all expenses incident to accomplish the named projects.
Beginning April 5, 2021, Chickamauga Telephone Co. customers must dial 10 digits (area code and telephone number) to complete all local calls.
On and after this date, local calls dialed with only seven digits may not be completed, and a recording will inform the caller that the call cannot be completed as dialed or the number was not recognized. The caller must hang up and dial again using the area code and the sevendigit number.
All services, automatic dialing equipment or other types of equipment that are programmed to complete calls to seven-digit local numbers will need to be reprogrammed to complete calls to 10-digit numbers. Some examples are life safety systems or medical monitoring devices, PBXs, fax machines, Internet dial-up numbers, fire or burglar alarm and security systems or gates, speed dialers, mobile or other wireless phone contact lists, call forwarding settings, voicemail services and other similar functions.
Customers are advised to sure to check their website (if they have one), any personal and business stationery, advertising materials, personal and business checks, contact information, personal or pet ID tags, and other such items to ensure the area code is included.
Telephone numbers, including current area code, will not change.
The price of a call, coverage area or other rates and services will not change due to the dialing change.
What is a local call now will remain a local call regardless of the number of digits dialed.
Callers will continue to dial 1, the area code and telephone number for all long distance calls.
Callers can still dial just three digits to reach 711 (relay services) and 911 (emergency services). Other threedigit services, such as 411 and 811, can still be reached by dialing their three-digit codes.
For more information, call Chickamauga Telephone Co. at 706-375-3195.