County Commissioner's Office

County Talk
By
Lamar Paris - Commissioner

Q. I am concerned that the county will bite off more than they can chew on the SPLOST projects.  Will the county consider the slow economy and possible recession when making decisions?
A.  Absolutely!!  I watch the news every night just like many of you do.   I have lived through previous recessions and 21% interest rates.  I am just as concerned about the economy as anyone.  One of my responsibilities is to take care of Union County financially. That is what I have done for the past seven years and I can assure you that is not going to change. 

Q.  If the SPLOST passes will the county borrow money immediately and start having to pay interest?
A.  No. Don’t be fooled by some of the people that are distributing false or inaccurate information against SPLOST.  Evaluating the economy, any financing methods that would be considered, and deciding on which projects will be accomplished first, requires a lot of work and research once SPLOST is passed. Deciding when and how much to borrow through bonds involves keeping a close eye on the interest rates.  If we are going to borrow some money for part of the projects, then it would only make sense to do it while the interest rate is at its lowest.  Once interest rates go up, even if none of the projects are started, it is very likely that the county could make more interest on the money sitting in the bank (arbitrage) than we would have to pay out.

No money will be borrowed that can not be paid back with the SPLOST sales tax proceeds.  All final decisions will be made with the assistance of professional financial advisers.  None of this is new. This is exactly what was done with the current SPLOST.  We borrowed $7,000,000 to build the courthouse and complete some other projects, all of which will be repaid by the current SPLOST proceeds and will be completely paid off in 2009 when the existing SPLOST expires.    

Q. What are we supposed to think when people talk to us and tell us to vote against the SPLOST because the county can not afford it?
A.  They are WRONG !!!!!! Do not be misled by those who are telling you that we will not be able to pay for the SPLOST projects.  We will only start those that we can afford based on actual and projected sales tax collections.  It is interesting that we seem to have so many “NEW” experts on SPLOST when these people have never been to a county meeting nor have they ever received a copy of the county audit. They certainly have no idea what it takes to operate a road department nor do they seem to have any concept of how SPLOST works.

Q. How are our current collections of sales tax doing with the slow economy?
A.  Great!  We just received (January 23, 2008) the latest monthly sales tax report from the State of Georgia for November of 2007 (the state reports are two months behind). Much to our surprise, we broke a record for November collections.    We received $314,057 which was $55,664 higher than the same month in 2006, and was also $21,664 more than the same month in 2005.   So while the economy is certainly subdued in Union County, we have a population who thankfully has not quit spending money.  This trend may or may not continue, but that is our job-to closely monitor it. However, this was a very good start to 2008 for our SPLOST sales tax collections.

Q. In a letter to the editor in the NGN, someone took exception to your SPLOST project list. Were you surprised?
A.  While I respect anyone’s opinion, it was a disappointment that someone chose to criticize vs. support.  Hopefully everyone understands now that if the SPLOST fails, it would be a disaster for Union County.  I publicly supported SPLOST under past commissioners because I knew how important it was to our county. SPLOST is not about politics, but about keeping Union County one of the best counties in the state.  Even though everyone may not agree with all the SPLOST projects, respect for the good it will do for our county is unquestionable.

Q. Can you think of any reason that someone would want to vote against SPLOST?
A. While I can not legally ask you to vote for SPLOST, I certainly can not think of any reason someone would want to vote against it.  It is the lifeblood of Union County.  It keeps property taxes low. It is why Union County is progressive and well known throughout the state. Our new courthouse addition, E 911 upgrades, fire engines and equipment will be paid for in full in July of 2009 with the current SPLOST funds.  It is an amazing mechanism to provide so many fine services and facilities at such a small cost to each person.  There is no other way to let those who pass through our town contribute to paying for our services and facilities, other than through SPLOST.

Q. How much of the money is the City of Blairsville going to use to improve our sewer system and why is the county involved?
A.  The sewer and water provided by the City of Blairsville is critical to the operation of the county. They serve our industrial park, the airport, Meeks Park and all county buildings. We all have a stake in their continued improvements to their infrastructure.  Well over half of their $ 2,000,000 that they will receive from SPLOST will go toward expanding their water/sewer system.  They anticipate the actual cost to be in excess of $5 million dollars over the next three years.  Part of that will be funded by grant funds, part low interest government loans, and the balance customer supported.  The county and city work together wherever we can and generally what is good for the city is good for the county. SPLOST will be a big asset for the City of Blairsville.

Q. I do not agree with all the projects you have listed for SPLOST, but I do believe it is absolutely the best way to pay for our roads/ bridges and other county projects.  Can you take some of the projects off the list?
A. The list is already on the ballot and set.  We have said over and over, we will not start the projects that we can not afford. Only when we are confident that we will have adequate funding will we start these projects.  Remember, we will be spending the SPLOST funds over the next six years, not one year.  While everyone will not agree with all projects, they are all worthwhile or would not have been put on the list.  These projects will make Union County a better place for you to live. Only if the funds are available will all the projects be completed.

Remember that Road and Bridge improvements, the jail expansion, purchase of public safety vehicles, and county building improvements must be done with or without SPLOST.  So well over half the money will be required to be spent with SPLOST sales tax funds or with property tax money.  Also, do not forget that we will be able to receive significantly more funding from the Ga. Dept of Transportation  because of the matching funds on many projects we will have available through SPLOST.

No matter how you decide to vote, it is very important that everyone votes.  So please make your decision and go to the polls on Tuesday, February 5th, or you can “early vote” at the courthouse from January 28 through February 1.

Over the past few weeks I have made every effort to be completely open and keep you informed about the SPLOST sales tax extension through this question and answer column.  Should you have any last minute questions, please feel free to either call me at 706-439-6000 or email me at unioncounty@uniongov.com.  

Lamar Paris, Union County Commissioner

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