Coweta County voters will decide Tuesday on two school-related tax measures and one county sales tax.
What’s Happening: Three measures appear on the November 4 ballot. Two involve the school system: a one-cent sales tax renewal and expanded property tax breaks for seniors. A third measure is a Floating Local Option Sales Tax brought by Coweta County and city governments. Schools cannot participate in that tax by state law.
What’s Important: The school sales tax has been in place since 1997. It collects about $40.2 million per year from anyone who shops in Coweta County. The money pays for buildings, buses, and equipment but cannot pay for salaries or daily operations.
What the Sales Tax Funds: The school system lists projects over five years. The largest share, $160.2 million, would pay for renovations at nine schools that are 25 years old. Other money would go to school buses at $16.5 million, security systems at $3.6 million, technology at $27.3 million, and athletic facilities at $26.9 million.
What the Senior Exemption Does: The second measure would expand property tax breaks for homeowners 65 and older. Those 75 and older would pay no school property tax. Those 65 to 74 would get larger exemptions than they have now. Senior exemptions have been in place since 2002.
Between the Lines: Without the sales tax, the school system would need to raise property taxes. The school system says replacing the sales tax with property taxes would cost the average homeowner $632 more per year on a $400,000 home. The county’s school property tax rate is currently 15 mills, the lowest in metro Atlanta.
The Sources: Coweta County School System.
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.
