What is the purpose of the Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) referendum?
The purpose of the SPLOST referendum is to ask voters to decide whether we should continue collecting the local 1% sales tax to pay for county projects, and for payment of existing general obligation debt on the County Administration Building and County Jail Facility. The SPLOST is not an additional sales tax, but rather a continuation of the local 1% sales tax that is currently in place and was originally approved by voters in 2003. What happens if the SPLOST renewal is not approved? Without the SPLOST, funding for these projects and the bond payments will have to come primarily from local property tax revenues. Why would we use the SPLOST instead of property taxes to pay for these projects? The SPLOST means that everyone who purchases goods in Pickens County is helping to pay for the cost of growth, maintenance, and the improvements in our county. The responsibility for the financial support of the projects in our county will be shared by almost everyone instead of primarily property
