Taxpayers Association to Oppose Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST)

AUSTELL, Georgia – The Cobb County Taxpayers Association (CCTA) announced today that it will oppose the Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) that the Cobb County Commissioners voted to put on the ballot for March 15, 2011. If enacted, the measure would cost residents and consumers in Cobb County an estimated $746 million from 1/1/12 thru 12/31/17.

“At a time when the Georgia unemployment rate is in double digits, and there are record numbers of foreclosures, collapsing real estate values, and no job recovery in sight, a continuation of this tax is the wrong prescription for Cobb County,” said Lance Lamberton, President and founder of CCTA. “On the contrary, the best approach towards economic recovery is to reduce the tax burden so that individuals and businesses will have more money to save, spend and invest in the private sector.”

If the measure is defeated, Cobb County’s sales tax would decline to 5%, making it the lowest sales tax in the region. 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 six 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.