My cup of coffee and your property taxes

A few years ago, I transitioned from Starbuck’s regular to guest star to long lost customer twice removed. As a coffee enthusiast, rising costs forced me to make a hard decision as to where to spend my money. I made the decision to buy a travel mug and bring my coffee from home.

I chose my new brand based on paying $9.99 for a thirty-two-ounce bag at Walmart only a few years ago. Last Friday, I paid $12.49 for the same bag. Resulting in a twenty five percent increase over approximately three years or a compound average growth rate of 8.9% per year. As another data point, our income did not grow at the same or better rate.

I mention this as an illustration that taxpayers are facing the same challenge as our schools, cities and counties. The current inflation increase challenge has raised costs for everyone.

All of us have had to make choices of where to cut spending to make our dollars last. This past November, fifty seven percent of Fayette’s voters and sixty three percent of Coweta’s voters, decided to “opt in” to HB 581 which provides a homestead exemption to limit to growth in home values to the rate of the Consumer Price Index (CPI).

Before the election, this paper ran my column where we provided a flyer published by our legislature that gave the voters the facts. Fayette at crossroads for continued adequate funding for its excellent school system – The Citizen This is important as Ms. Kate Rogers was concerned in her letter to the editor that voters had “No idea” what they were voting for when voting for HB 581. OPT-OUT of HB 581 PLEASE! – The Citizen

In my letters and columns in this paper and elsewhere, I have always advocated for voters getting the facts. In this case the facts were available, and I believe many voters have examples like my coffee reference above that were considered as facts when they voted.

Many People support our schools, cities and counties, but also need to support their families. At some point, the endless increase in the cost of government cannot be supported at the cost of people’s families.  Government entities must make choices like families across Fayette and Coweta are every day to make ends meet.

In her letter, Ms. Rogers states that various leaders can now decide to “opt in” or “opt out”. That is false. The voters have already “opted in” in a clear majority. In a very curious act, the legislators gave local leaders the ability to veto the decision of the voters. This is a mistake.

A few years ago, Fayette County voters decided to give FCBOE renewal of the ESPLOST. There was a clear project list that included some upgrades to Booth Middle School. After the measure passed, FCBOE decided to take $45 Million dollars to buy land and build a brand-new Booth Middle School without discussing with the voters before the election.

Consequently, legislators assisted voters to put a measure on the ballot that created a homestead exemption that limited property value growth with respect to school tax to three percent. The measure passed and cannot be “opted out of.”  While it is expected that FCBOE will opt out of HB 581, that is irrelevant given the previous exemption.

Unfortunately, Coweta County Board of Education has announced its intention to “opt out”. This is disappointing.  Hearings will be held January 14, 21, 28. Please see

Home – Coweta County School System for more information. Its disappointing that these politicians seek to disrespect the voters by opening  Pandora’s box and unleashing  unknown results.

Will voters work with legislators to get an exemption placed on the ballot? Will voters vote down a SPLOST or ESPLOST, which has happened in Fayette County in the early 2000’s.

Will the voters throw out the politicians who “opted out”? This could result with competent leaders being replaced with inexperienced insurgents. When that happened on the Clayton County Board of Education, the system eventually lost its SACS accreditation.

The voters have plainly spoken. We need our leaders to develop and communicate a plan to respect the will of the voters and embrace the change this will bring about.