Wednesday, September 29, 1999
SPLOST foes seek a fresh look at needs

By PAT NEWMAN
Staff Writer

Fayette County voters opposed to passage of a one cent special local option sales tax and bond sale last week were gratified when the measure lost. At the final count, 6,015 voters turned out to defeat the referendum which was designed to fund four new schools and renovate and improve existing schools over five years.

Two of the most vocal opponents were Carl Avrit of Fayetteville, a Delta pilot and father of three privately-schooled children, and Claude Paquin of Fayetteville, a semiretired actuary and consultant to insurance companies.

Avrit takes credit for the phone calls advising citizens to vote against the SPLOST in the final days preceding the referendum and distributing brochures which SPLOST supporters say contained misinformation. On Sept. 7, Avrit registered himself as an anti-sales tax political action committee.

He said he feels his efforts paid off. ”A lot of people were unaware of the SPLOST. It was my intention to turn-up the turnout,” he said. “If it (SPLOST) had been passed, it never would have gone away.” He said a bond issue would have been more equitable and palatable to voters. He claims the $90 SPLOST and bond package would be like giving the school board “a blank check.“

Paquin came up with an alternative plan to raise the $90 million, which he believes is “friendlier to the taxpayers,” and amounts to “one quarter less than what you're going to pay for a sales tax.” He suggests raising the school board's bond rate by two mills. The millage rate for the school board's operating budget is almost maxed out.

Paquin said he sent copies of his proposal to the board members and Superintendent Dr. John DeCotis, but said he did not receive any feedback from them. If another SPLOST comes forth next year, Paquin said, ”We'll vote against it.”

Paquin is also responsible for filing an ethics complaint against the Fayette County Board of Education early this month claiming the board made an indirect contribution to the group called Fayette Citizens for Continued Excellence in Education, who were working for passage of the SPLOST. He said, by allowing Todd Barnes of A.G. Edwards to advise them, they violated the state ethics code. The investment firm was one of two the board agreed to pay for execution of the sale of $50 million in bonds if the referendum had passed.


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