On March 21, Newton County residents will have a chance to vote for a continuation of SPLOST. The Covington Newton Chamber strongly encourages the citizens of Newton County to vote yes for continued SPLOST.

The special-purpose local-option sales tax, known as SPLOST, is a 1% tax that generates revenue for funding projects across the county. It allows the county to complete critical projects that otherwise wouldn’t be able to get done. Without it, the burden would be left on the taxpayers.

In making your decision about SPLOST, understand that this is not a new tax for our community. This a vote to continue an existing tax for six years.

Since 1995, voters in our county have approved the SPLOST. It has funded many landmark projects that we now take for granted. Past projects include the Miracle Field, the county’s agriculture center, the Porter Performing Arts Center and the Porter Memorial Gymnasium, Lake Varner, the Turner Lake Complex, Newton County Library, numerous road improvements, the expansion and emergency room at Newton Medical Center, the Newton County jail, and the Judicial Center.

Anyone who shops in Newton County contributes to the SPLOST. That’s because it is a tax on retail sales. According to the U.S. Consumer Expenditure Survey and U.S. Census Bureau’s Census of Retail Trade, over 30% of SPLOST revenues are estimated from purchases made by people outside the community.

The SPLOST is important for Newton’s future economy. SPLOST programs have allowed Newton to efficiently and effectively raise more than $184 million dollars through the years to support projects that ensure our county is the best place to live, work, and play now and for years to come.

Our county budget is already strained so it is important to know the facts to make an intelligent decision for voting. One of the largest expenditures in SPLOST is for transportation, public safety, and debt reduction, which will receive 86% of the revenue that SPLOST will be applied to. Specifically, proposed projects include improvements to the Emergency 911 center, improvements and expansion of the county’s senior center, a youth outreach for the westside, improvements for parks throughout the county, help with infrastructure for the county’s library system, improvements to the animal shelter and much-needed equipment and vehicles for the Sheriff’s Office, Fire Services, and county staff.

Newton County citizens are urged to go to the polls to vote yes on SPLOST on Tuesday, March 21, 2024. It’s imperative that we get a decent turnout. In 2011, several critical projects were made a reality by a difference of 294 voters. $64.8 million dollars is at stake and we can’t afford to lose it.

Election day is officially on March 21, 2024 with voting held at your specific polling location. For more information on projects, questions and answers, and polling locations, visit www.voteyesforSPLOST.com.