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Dear Editor,

School boards in Georgia determine when an ESPLOST referendum will go on the ballot, not the county nor the election supervisor. If the school board wishes to save taxpayer hard-earned dollars and make a referendum most easily available to as many voters as possible, which TCSS does not want to happen, then the school board can tell the election supervisor to put it on a general election ballot. This was the case with Gwinnett County’s general election this past November. An excerpt from this link https://publish.gwinnett.k12.ga.us/gcps/home/public/home/content/general-info/q-and-a-on-e-splost states “Why is the district renewing the E-SPLOST now?

Putting these types of measures on the ballot in a general election allows the maximum number of voters to have a say in the outcome.

By holding the referendum this November, we continue our practice of asking voters to renew the E-SPLOST well ahead of the date when it is set to expire. Passage of the sales tax extension this fall allows for better planning as we will know in advance that the major source of capital improvement funding will continue to be available to meet ongoing needs in the school district. I also called the Gwinnett County election supervisor, Lynn Ledford, who verified this information as well.

TCSS could have chosen to put the ESPLOST referendum on a November general election, but chose instead to have it on the ballot by means of a costly special election.

Some could easily say that doing so is a form of voter suppression, and that doing so is not exhibiting good stewardship of your and my tax dollars.

Tommy Callaway

LaGrange, GA (706) 302-6211