The Troup County School System is pushing the hardest that I have ever seen them push for yet another E-SPLOST to be approved by the voters of Troup County. The current school system’s millage rate is 18.85. By voting for and imposing the upcoming E-SPLOST, you are voting yourself the equivalent of a millage rate increase of 6.30 mills, or a 33 percent millage rate increase.

How do I come up with this number? After consulting with the tax commissioner, I was told that one mill equals $1,800,000. The E-SPLOST is for $68,000,000 over a six year period. So,

$68Million / 6Years / $1.8 million = 6.30 mills.

You can easily see why the school board had rather the voters vote for a tax to be imposed on all the citizens than for them to increase the school millage rate by an equivalent amount. Doing so would result in political suicide for each board member. So instead, they lie to you and tell you that “it is only a penny.” Nothing could be further from the truth.

Put the burden where it belongs. If the school system has to have the money, which they don’t, make them do the right thing by raising their millage rate. Don’t let them put the burden on the voters’ backs. Vote “NO” for the upcoming E-SPLOST.

Tommy Callaway

LaGrange