Hall County residents will vote on November 4 whether to renew a 1% sales tax that has helped pay for local projects for nearly 40 years. This tax funds roads, parks, and public safety.
🗳️ Why It Matters: This sales tax affects everyone who shops in Hall County, including visitors. It helps pay for big projects without raising property taxes, but it also means shoppers pay a little more at the register.
🚧 What’s Happening: The Hall County Board of Elections officially put the Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax, or SPLOST, renewal on the November ballot. If approved, the tax would last six more years and raise about $440 million.
Some key projects planned include a new park and activity center, road widening on Spout Springs Road, improvements to busy intersections, and upgrades to public safety facilities like the sheriff’s training center and fire stations. About $95 million would go to towns in the county based on their size.
💡 Between the Lines: About 30 to 40% of the money raised comes from shoppers who live outside Hall County. This means visitors help pay for local improvements, easing the tax load on residents.
For more details, visit Hall County’s website or email their public information office.
How to Read and Understand the News
Truth doesn’t bend because we dislike it.
Facts don’t vanish when they make us uncomfortable.
Events happen whether we accept them or not.
Good reporting challenges us. The press isn’t choosing sides — it’s relaying what official, verified sources say. Blaming reporters for bad news is like blaming a thermometer for a fever.
Americans have a history of misunderstanding simple things. In the 1980s, A&W rolled out a 1/3-pound burger to compete with McDonald’s Quarter Pounder. It failed because too many people thought 1/3 was smaller than 1/4. If we can botch basic math, we can certainly misread the news.
Before dismissing a story, ask yourself:
- What evidence backs this?
- Am I reacting to facts or feelings?
- What would change my mind?
- Am I just shooting the messenger?
And one more: Am I assuming bias just because I don’t like the story?
Smart news consumers seek truth, not comfort.
B.T. Clark
B.T. Clark is an award-winning journalist and the Publisher of The Georgia Sun. He has 25 years of experience in journalism and served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta for 15 years and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc. for 8 years. His work has appeared in several newspapers throughout the state including Neighbor Newspapers, The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal. He is a Georgia native and a fifth-generation Georgian.
