Proposed SPLOST VII Split
&
List of County and City Projects
The Forsyth Board of Commissioners has sent their recommendation for SPLOST VII to the City of Cumming. The plan contains both County projects and City designated projects.
Understand that it is the county’s proposal to the city. It is not final and will likely change! The good news is that a 12.5% split is proposed as opposed to the 15% split used in the last SPLOST. The bad news is that it should be 3.2%, the population ratio!!
We ask residents to understand the facts.
This memo covers three issues on the $200 million SPLOST VII:
- The proposed split between the City of Cumming and Forsyth County 12.5% versus 3.2% as required by law.
- The need for acceptance of citizen input.
- The City's $10,500,000 for roads.
The Split
Georgia’s law for SPLOST calls for the city of Cumming to receive a minimum split of 3.2%, its population ratio to the county.
Our BoC is proposing a $100 million Jail/Courthouse complex in “downtown” Cumming. This $100 million plus a $1 million water issue are legally excluded from the SPLOST TAX by the city. However, the city will receive 12.5% of SPLOST VII’s remaining $99 million - - - - - that’s $9.18 million more than the $3.17 million the city would receive if the 3.2% legal split was applied by our BOC!!
Citizens need to ask our BOC:- If we are spending $101 million in downtown Cumming for capital projects, why are we also giving the city 12.5% of the remaining $99 million?
- Why did we not use the Jail/Courthouse & the $12.5 million in tax proceeds to negotiate a more fair water contract and to reduce the 15% LOST tax the city and its 5,400 citizens receive?
BOC Approved Splost VII List of County and City Projects
The Forsyth Board of Commissioners has approved the list of County and City projects listed below.
| County Projects | Estimated Costs | |
| Courthouse and Jail | $100,000,000 | |
| Roads, Streets, Bridges, and Sidewalks | 71,900,000 | |
| Public Safety | 3,900,000 | |
| Animal Shelter | 3,000,000 | |
| Library | 2,800,000 | |
| Parks and Recreation | 2,400,000 | |
| Administration Building | 2,500,000 | |
| Water | 1,000,000 | |
| Subtotal | $187,500,000 | |
| City Projects | ||
| Parks and recreation | $2,000,000 | |
| Roads, streets, bridges, sidewalks, lights | 10,500,000 | |
| Subtotal | 12,500,000 | |
| Grand Total SPLOST VII | $200,000,000 | |
Conclusion
The Forsyth County BOC is giving the City and its 5,400 citizens almost 4X more than required by the state. This is equivalent to $148 of extra taxes per County Household that our BoC is assessing each county household [(12.5% X $99M) – (3.2% X $99M) ÷ 62 ,000 = $148 per household].
Two related facts:
- The City’s $10,500,000 for roads/bridges/streetlights/side walks if prorated up from 5,400 city folks to 175,500 county residents equals $341,000,000. Does this sound correct?
- Recall that Forsyth County is requesting road spend of $71,900,000 for all 175,500 residents.
- Also that the State pays for all improvements/maintenance on the city’s two main roads: Hwy’s 20 and 9. Is it correct for the County to give the City 2.74X proportionally more capital for roads then we plan to spend.
- From initial City documents that identified specific roads, it is apparent that part of City’s $10,500,000 request is to widen roads adjacent to parcels in the family holding of a current Forsyth County Commissioner. We are not aware if that commissioner recused himself on the City Splost List
Adequate Information and Acceptance of Citizen Input Needed
The BoC SPLOST VII list does not provide the information needed for the voter to make an intelligent decision. It is our understanding that the BoC plans may be to list only the road names slated for “improvement” without any improvement description, estimated cost, etc. The same applies to parks, library, etc.
The stated purpose of this approach is to give the BoC "flexibility to change how they spend" our money. Is this good? Citizens agree on how much but the BOC says on what? You must decide how much flexibility is needed.
Citizens in this very poor economy wish to be judicious on how their own and the county’s money is spent. If you agree that we need adequate information, tell the commissioners.
Summary
- If this sounds unreal, recognize that the county supplied numbers for SPLOST V & VI show the city received 15+%. In addition the city receives 15% from LOST. (Visit our County Payments to the City web page for more detail.)
- YOUR EMAILS TO THE BoC DID HELP - - - 15+% to 12.5%!!!.
- Citizens can email the commissioners to express opinions either pro or con.
Click here to send the email.
For each topic in the email, choose one response and
delete the other before sending the message!
Please let the BoC know we all care!!
- The key is to express your opinion and to stay informed. Elections for the BoC are less than 12 months away.
Please pass this on to friends and neighbors. Visit our web site here.
Thank you and do stay informed.
For the Committee Tony DeMaria & Lee Cohn