Split BoE votes to put SPLOST on Nov. ballot

Tue, 08/05/2008 - 3:50pm
By: Ben Nelms

Smola pushes for 1-cent sales tax for schools; Todd charges ‘hurry-up’

It was pretty much a foregone conclusion that Fayette County School Board members Monday night would adopt a resolution to put a 1-percent Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) on the November ballot. And that is what happened.

But a heated exchange between board members Janet Smola and Bob Todd spotlighted a growing rift between the three-person majority and the two members questioning the system’s spending decisions — Todd and newly reelected Marion Key.

The SPLOST presentation by Comptroller Laura Brock — first unveiled publicly following the recent July 15 school board elections — was followed by an explanation of the resolution by Superintendent John DeCotis that would put the initiative on the ballot.

“It’s not a good time to ask for it, but we felt like it’s appropriate to ask the voters,” DeCotis said of the November question while noting the current economic downturn. “If it is approved, we can move forward. If it fails, we can try to maintain our programs.”

Advocating for the SPLOST, Smola said she had visited The Avenue in Peachtree City over the weekend and had counted 78 out of county license plates in a 15-minute period. Those shoppers would be contributing to revenue raised for the 1-percent tax, she said.

Todd said he would be abstaining when the vote was taken.

“I’ve struggled with this. The $115 million [SPLOST maximum] is the equivalent of almost four mills [in ad valorem property tax],” Todd said. “I’ve been concerned about the hurry-up. I looked at the proposal, including the $38 million for bond debt that would give some tax relief (on the bond millage rate). I know the board will be forthright (in administering the funds), but I’m getting mixed feedback. I’ll abstain from the vote because I don’t want to be accused of standing in the way of voters deciding on the SPLOST or not.”

Smola responded to the comment, saying that all expenditures of SPLOST revenues would come before the board for approval.

“Abstaining comes when there is a moral or financial conflict,” Smola added. “Abstaining (here) is unfair to the rest of us. We’ve been talking about this for two years.”

It was Smola’s comment over the length of time SPLOST had been discussed that triggered a clearly definitive response from Todd.

“But when did it (SPLOST) reach the level of a board agenda item?” Todd asked. “There’s a difference between a conversation and a board action. I’m going to vote my conscience. I won’t be coerced to do something we haven’t planned willfully.”

Chairman Terri Smith spoke up, saying the board’s charge was to vote on whether to put the initiative on the November ballot, adding that, in terms of future fiscal planning, a SPLOST was synonymous to planning for next year since revenues would not be collected until April and would not be issued to the school system until summer 2009.

Smola then returned to the conversation with Todd, asking if he was aware of the hundreds of hours school system staff, and some board members, had put into the development of the SPLOST proposal.

“I didn’t say the staff didn’t plan,” Todd responded. “I was talking about the board.”

At that point board member Lee Wright entered the conversation, noting his belief that the SPLOST proposal was a good idea.

“If we started planning a year ago the list (of proposed SPLOST expenditure categories) would look the same,” Wright said.

The 3-0-1 vote came minutes later, with Terri Smith, Janet Smola and Lee Wright in favor of the ballot initiative and Bob Todd abstaining. Board member Marion Key was absent.

Todd said after the meeting that the only time he recalled a SPLOST initiative being referenced in a board meeting prior to the election was on one occasion during a recent 2008-2009 budget work session.

Though the dollar amounts were no longer specified on the final proposal, board members during the several SPLOST meetings had targeted $38 million for debt service on the school bond, $44 million for technology, $3.5 million for security, $2.5 million for textbook adoption, $17 million for the facilities five-year plan and warehouse relocation and $10 million for transportation.

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Submitted by ole sarge on Wed, 08/06/2008 - 6:22am.

“Hundreds of hours of school system staff” ...”put into the development of the SPLOST proposal.”

Did I read that right? Why are these hundreds of hours not spent on the development and implementation of programs that are in these educators area of expertise.

The staff is truly overbloated and underworked if they can devote that much of their time and energies into developing a wish list of spending proposals.

Submitted by notjustcomplaining on Tue, 08/05/2008 - 9:32pm.

Is it just me, or didn't we just have a
meeting where DeCotis was saying without
SPLOST,school programs and staffing cuts would result.

Now, it's being touted for use on these capital items:
$38 million for debt service on the school bond, $44 million for technology, $3.5 million for security, $2.5 million for textbook adoption, $17 million for the facilities five-year plan and warehouse relocation and $10 million for transportation.

So, which is it?

Submitted by geewhizley on Thu, 10/09/2008 - 12:56pm.

Isn't it funny--more like ha, ha-- that we didn't have this problem when Jim Stephens was the finance director and kept the board in line with what they could and couldn't do? Now the whole board of education has been burning up the dollars and now looking to the public to pay for it.

Wake UP Dr. DeCotis--put someone who can be your backbone and stand up to these people to do the responsible thing--not clean up for a mess you allowed to happen!

Submitted by Doubletrouble on Thu, 08/07/2008 - 7:17am.

What he means by that is that if they don't get extra funding (SPLOST $) then the BoE will have to cut all those positions to make up for that money. It won't be nearly enough, about $100 million off. The Splost will give $100-115 million to the schools and keep positions. No Splost will cut those positions and only give the schools about $1.5 million in return wages. In the long run I keep seeing how the Splost will make sense....even if it does cost me more.

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Submitted by sniffles5 on Wed, 08/06/2008 - 7:16am.

Notjustcomplaining, money from the bond referendum a few years back has one particular string attached to it: it cannot be used to fund operating expenses such as salaries.

This has a significant adverse effect on Smola and Smith's plans to build an education empire,to make the Fayette School system one of the greatest jobs programs in Georgia (see also: first grade parapros).

So, they came up with a two part scheme to allow them to add and fund more and more positions:

first, strip out all the technology out of the general budget and have it be entirely funded by the splost (allowing them to hire more people). This ensures a "permanent SPLOST", as voters will essentially be voting going forward every 5 years whether or not to have computers in their childrens' schools. This allows Smith and Smola to create and hire more non-state funded positions.

secondly, use the splost to reduce the bond debt, which will allow for millage rate increases in future years to fund pay raises for the many non-state funded positions created by Smith and Smola.


Submitted by bowser on Wed, 08/06/2008 - 7:56am.

First grade parapros are evidence of a jobs program? Come on...you know better.

suggarfoot's picture
Submitted by suggarfoot on Wed, 08/06/2008 - 7:41am.

If only people had got out and voted.

"Smola then returned to the conversation with Todd, asking if he was aware of the hundreds of hours school system staff, and some board members, had put into the development of the SPLOST proposal"

No Smola, he nor any of us were aware of this till after the election! That is the problem! Since you always brag about what you have accomplished, I wonder why you didn't brag about all those hours you and this select group were putting into this during your election campaign? I wonder how all those hours pondering how to get another nickel out of us slipped your mind? Could it be that you felt it might loose you votes if people knew what you were cooking up? Clearly, fellow board members like Dr Todd had not been privy to these meetings.


Submitted by bowser on Wed, 08/06/2008 - 7:08am.

Here's the deal, as I understand it:
The system has to pay its debt; has to do something about the computers going back to Dell; and has to pay the higher gas bill for transportation etc.

That money will come from somewhere.

So...

Either the splost will provide it, or the board will find it somewhere else -- potentially by eliminating direct-contact positions like parapros and non-core subject teachers whose salaries are paid entirely by the county. Some argue those are red herrings and that there's all sorts of fat and waste elsewhere that could be cut. We will see a lot of armchair expert testimony about that over the next couple months.

The ultimate question for voters will be: Do you want to vote no and assume the system can meet its funding needs through means that will not jeopardize its above-average performance; or do you want to trust the people who run the system to propose a splost because it is actually the best way to meet the needs and preserve quality? Of course there is always that element that will vote no to any tax, ever, for anything, no matter what the consequences for the schools or even their own property values.

As an aside, I wish the Citizen would focus its coverage a little more on facts and less on board politics and personalities. Who cares what testy comments Todd and Smola made? The above article is all about that, with almost no info on what's at stake in the vote.

For those who want to know more, the fcboe web site has a section of info.

Submitted by Dondol on Wed, 08/06/2008 - 7:44am.

Thanks to the Citizen for reporting the Facts, Board Politics and personalities. Without which the average voter cannot make an informed decision on which candidate to vote for. You have to have the whole enchilada, not just what the Board wants spoon feed us(don't tell the public to much as they will ask to many questions).
As far as eliminating direct-contact personel, they need to start with all of the fat in the main office. Once that is done work on other areas that could use a little trimming.
I think a lot more citizens would have a different attitude towards this if it had not been presented in the fashion that it was. It was just DIRTY LOW DOWN POLITICS to hold on to this until the week after the election. Not a word on this was mentioned until Janet Smola and the Ghost (Marian Key) were re-elected.
If you want a tax increase then raise my property taxes, at least that is a write off. This SPLOST will not pass in November.

Submitted by heatjam on Wed, 08/06/2008 - 9:18am.

I totally agree with you! The board should use this formula to figure out what needs to be cut...the further away you are from the children, the closer you are to the door.

suggarfoot's picture
Submitted by suggarfoot on Wed, 08/06/2008 - 8:29am.

The Citizen took the lid off and let us see what was in the fig basket!

Thank you Dr Todd, even though outnumbered, you made it obvious you weren't going to be pushed into this without an open public discussion, nor approved of the others antics.

".... a heated exchange between board members Janet Smola and Bob Todd spotlighted a growing rift between the three-person majority... and the two members questioning the system’s spending decisions — Todd and newly reelected Marion Key."...

Dr. Todd said he would be abstaining when the vote was taken....
'I’ve struggled with this.....I’ve been concerned about the hurry-up. ..... I’m getting mixed feedback. I’ll abstain from the vote because I don’t want to be accused of standing in the way of voters deciding on the SPLOST or not.”

"It was Smola’s comment over the length of time SPLOST had been discussed that triggered a clearly definitive response from Todd."

“.... I won’t be coerced to do something we haven’t planned willfully.”

Sounds to me like Smola will not be able to run over the gracious southerner after all.


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