Taxpayers Association Releases Names of 55 Taxpayers Opposed to the SPLOST

AUSTELL, Georgia – The Cobb County Taxpayers Association (CCTA)  today released the names of 55 Cobb County taxpayers who oppose the Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) that the Cobb County Commissioners voted to put on the ballot for March 15, 2011.  They are:

Rachel Ray; Joanne L. Ray; Jerry Palmer; Mary Kirkendoll; Raymond Lunsford; Tom Maloy; Robbie Huck; Tricia Clements; Larry Wills; Pat Henry; Robert Henry; Craig Kootsillas; Norm DeWalt; Doug Jenkins; Peter Hane; Don Eplin; Sarah Palmer; Brett Bittner; David Staples; Lance Lamberton; Cheryl Lamberton; Max Lorenz; Thomas Holimon; Bill Lutwack; Jim Serrate; David Shock; Jeff Martin; Boyd Parks; Curtis Richardson; Pat Negron; Tom Hendricks; Bob Andrews; Dee Martin; Matt Godown; Tom Conkling; Anthony-Scott Hobbs; Phoebe Hobbs; Steve Covert; Byron Jones; Linda Karlo; Tom Lane; Laura Weiss; William Spann; Stone Ermentrout; David Chastain; Elijah Coleman; Rhett Coleman; Crystal Gross; Sandra Martin; Ashye Staples; Brandy Lanadon; John Galzinski; Amy Barnes; Tom Eubanks; and Ben Hendricks.

The release of these names is in response to the list of 50 “prominent” members of the Citizens for Cobb’s Future who are on record as supporting the SPLOST. “The critical difference between our list and the one released by proponents as that we represent a broad cross-section of citizens who will be called upon to pay the tax, as opposed to those who will benefit from it,” said Lance Lamberton, president of CCTA. “People who oppose the tax range from the well off, to retirees, to people who are struggling to make ends meet in this difficult economic environment.  Proponents, on the other hand, represent spending interests who will benefit, either directly or indirectly, from the $600 million largess if this SPLOST is passed.”

If the measure is defeated, Cobb County’s sales tax would decline to 5%, making it the lowest sales tax in the state.  Most counties in the Atlanta metro area have a sales tax rate of 7%.  “This significantly reduced tax rate would be a boon to Cobb County residents and businesses, saving consumers hundreds, if not thousands of dollars over a four year period,” Lamberton said.

CCTA was formed in 2005 to oppose passage of that year’s SPLOST, which won approval by the slimmest of margins; 114 votes out of over 40,000 cast.  The closeness of that vote was accomplished despite hundreds of thousands of dollars spent by SPLOST proponents.