Here are the 2015 City Financials. Georgia state law and local ordinances require that every local government publish within six months of the close of each fiscal year a complete set of audited financial statements. The Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) for the fiscal year that ended September 30, 2015, has been issued and soon will be posted on the city website. This independently audited financial report summarizes financial highlights important for all of us to be aware of and understand as voters and taxpayers.
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For the 2015 fiscal year, the city ended up putting 10% of total city collections, or $6,370,990, into already substantial, if not excessive, savings accounts to earn approximately 0.14% interest. This happened because the city underestimated revenues by 6%, or $3.58 million, and overestimated expenditures by 5.8%, or $2.82 million.
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At the same time, it increased its total outstanding debt by $3.8 million to $6.2 million to fund repaving activities and is paying interest rates of 4%, 3.75% and 4.9% on its debt. The better use of money appears to be to pay off the debt to eliminate interest expense rather than try to maximize investment income. For the fiscal year 2016, the city has finally started to put the accumulated money to work to buy parkland and accelerate road improvements.
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For the 2015 City Financials fiscal year the sources and amounts of city revenues were as follows:
| Source |
Amount |
Percentage |
Growth |
| Sales and Use taxes |
$20,562,370 |
33% |
4.2% |
| Property taxes |
$19,973,121 |
32% |
9.4% |
| Business taxes |
$6,336,162 |
10% |
4.8% |
| Charges for services |
$5,902,275 |
9% |
14.1% |
| Capital Grants |
$4,908,666 |
8% |
-14.2% |
| Franchise taxes |
$4,431,315 |
7% |
2.0% |
| Hotel/Motel taxes |
$489,803 |
1% |
12.1% |
| Miscellaneous |
$144,154 |
|
|
| Operating grants |
$83,200 |
|
|
| Investment earnings |
$77,309 |
|
|
| Sales of assets |
$0 |
|
|
| Total |
$62,908,375 |
|
5.0% |
Property taxes grew by 9.4% because the city did not roll back the millage rate to adjust for assessment increases.
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For 2015 the city collections were used as follows:
| Purpose |
Amount |
Percentage |
Growth |
| Public Safety/Judicial |
$22,096,637 |
43% |
-1.2% |
| Public Works |
$12,822,801 |
25% |
49.3% |
| General Govt |
$9,883,021 |
19% |
7.7% |
| Community Development |
$3,177,888 |
6% |
14.2% |
| Culture and Recreation |
$3,001,923 |
6% |
9.7% |
| Interest on Debt |
$121,786 |
|
|
| Total |
$51,104,056 |
|
11.6% |
| Carry forward |
$5,433,329 |
|
|
| Net Addition to Reserves |
$6,370,990 |
|
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As you decide how to vote this May and possibly next November, a 1% sales tax for E-SPLOST (Education Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax) equates to $775 annually for the average Johns Creek household, and a 0.75% sales tax for T-SPLOST (Transportation-SPLOST) equates to $575 for the average household. For comparison, the annual city property tax burden for the median household is estimated at $530.
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How does a 1% sales tax increase average to $775 for the average household? This would mean the average household spends $77,500 a year on sales taxable items. After paying mortgage or rent, insurance, tuitions and other non sales taxable items, it's hard to believe the average household spends $77,500 a year on sales taxable items.
The average is an average, some people pay more, some people pay less. When you buy a car, you pay a lot of sales tax. Keep in mind that the median household income in Johns Creek is $150,000, and few people in the US save money.
I know, it is sad so few in this country save money and yet complain about the government. They don't save - so they practice socialism by intentionally expecting the government to take care of them down the road by not saving - yet the same folks whine about a percent here or there to improve their own community. JC should have no problem passing the above SPLOST to improve their own community if they are spending as much as they are on themselves and are as affluent as the averages claim. Lets make America and Johns Creek greater by passing these SPLOSTS in November.
I've said this before and I shall say it again.
Rather than use of these indirect ways to tax us, which just creates more panels, bureaucracies, and in the end, a lack of accountability, why doesn't the City of Johns Creek come to us, define clear programs with clear purposes and benefits(including return on investment), and then ask us to pay higher taxes to accomplish the objectives?
Instead we cede control of our own destiny to groups that we do not vote for, and we wait.
And wait. And wait.
Then when the project is completed, we do not get what we had hoped for because we had to do it to meet the expectations of the outsiders that controlled OUR project.
If the residents of the City of Johns Creek thought we were getting a great bang for our dollars, we would open our wallets and become a City that others would want to emulate.
But when we see contracts and bids that getting little or no ROI, when we see City employees with very high compensations and the level of staff growing with little visible return on our investments, we will fight every increase in taxes because that is NOT why we became a City.
Shall we look within our City Limits and become a model of self governance, or shall we look outside our City Limits for funding, and be like every other municipality and state?
The choice is ours. What will it be?
Self control is my choice.
I would vote for self control as well. The current T Splost is an attempt to bring funds more local, since the 2012 TSplost was rejected and many were concerned about the issues you mentioned. The Legislature allowed each County to do a TSplost instead of regionally. I do believe there is a list of projects in the works for voters to see if the measure got passed. Several articles on this site have listed what would be on our wish list if the measure passes in November.
For those who would like to be more informed, there is a TSPLOST public meeting tonight, May 4, at 6 PM at JC City Hall. The proposed project list will be presented to obtain citizen input.
You have every right to vote no. I think investing in traffic improvement projects will make our community better. You are absolutely correct, a true fiscal conservative does save for the future as best they can, but most Americans who claim to be conservatives actually practice socialism. They don't max out their retirement accounts, they don't save enough and they just complain. You have every right to vote no. For me, a piddly .75% is a trivial amount to do the items on the Tier 1 list. This whole concept of whining about government and refusing to fund needed improvements hasn't solved traffic either. Sure Old Alabama project hasn't been handled perfectly, but once its completed, drivers will be happy. They have given a list of traffic projects to be done, made TSPLOST more localized and if you still want to have mistrust that is up to you. Unfortunately, saying no long enough will not fix traffic, it will just make it more expensive to fix when it is finally addressed.
I've shown on more than one occasion that the return on investment for resolving the traffic issues trumps any other thing the City of Johns Creek might do with your tax dollars. And yet, we pursue other types of spending with negative returns on investment, subjective returns on investment, and others that are just a waste of money and time.
So, why is the City of Johns Creek suddenly so hot to get the TSPOLST passed?
Because dollars that you have paid in local taxes that should be going to many of these same transportation projects already, will be freed up to be spent on the fun stuff the City wants to do. Many of the same transportation projects that were already on the agenda to be completed, will be moved off the City's budget.
Will the City spend these freed up resources then on even more transportation projects to get you home faster? Doubtful.
Will they lower your property tax millage rates? No.
Will they lower business taxes across the board to help make all Johns Creek businesses more competitive? No.
Instead it will be spent on things you and I never dreamed of when we voted for City Hood.
I'll be blunt. Any project that is worth of doing in the TSPLOST transportation list was already worthy of doing before the TSPLOST came up. (And with our budget surpluses over the last ten years, we've had the dollars for many of these projects.
Most of those projects should have already been financed by our hard earned and collected tax dollars.
A Public Works Department should have used evaluations to determine which projects had the greatest return on investments for us, and they should have already been set in motion.
There is simply nothing this City can do that provides a higher return on investment making sure that you are able to move in and around Johns Creek without wasting hours and hours each and every week.
Unfortunately, it is not as exciting about fantasizing about a CBD, or a symphony hall, or any of the many other things we want to spend our time, energy and money on. But that is and should be what is the most important topic on the agenda each and every meeting.
The return on investment for those tax dollars also shows that it would be the best thing for those of us that live here in Johns Creek.
The question is "Why are we still waiting?"
http://ejmoosa.com/blog3/2015/06/05/the-high-cost-of-traffic-dollar-and-sense/
It would be wonderful if the city would use their reserves to fund this, but I don't mind a TSPLOST, since many visitors will help subsidize our road projects. When an out of town guest shops at North Point Mall or Lenox Square or stays in a hotel or dines at a restaurant within Fulton County, they will help pay for our roads with a temporary sales tax increase, instead of the citizens bearing the entire brunt of it if we used city funds.
For those interested, the Fulton County Schools website shows 3 options for funding the Capital Plan 2022. For the millage option, the impact on a $250K home would result in a $599/year property tax increase. Look for yourself! So, based on the accuracy of this assessment, I think you can see how $775/year is not unreasonable for Johns Creek. If you think these numbers are unreasonable then maybe Fulton County is trying to fool you with their millage threat.
The FCS website says the Board determines how tax money will be spent and voters decide how the funding occurs. And surprise surprise, the Board has a new Capital Plan budget that exactly equals the E-SPLOST revenue projections, including the distribution of thousands of student computer devices. So is the upcoming vote a simple choice of whether to continue a consumption tax or to increase property taxes? This is what Fulton County wants you to think.
No, the vote is much more. What’s missing here is this, who decides how much money will be spent, and on what? It certainly appears that what was a discretionary spending decision left up to voters in 1996 has in fact become a new dependency. Unless you want more budgets that precisely rely on this money, the E-SPLOST tax must end.
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the US spends over $12K per student per year for public school. Depending on the study, this amount is greater than any other nation on earth with few exceptions. Yet US students rank dismally in key academic metrics compared to other countries. Bottom line, money will not buy student achievement.
Here are my questions to whoever would like to respond. How and why did the decades-old funding model for Fulton County schools suddenly become insufficient around 1996? How and why did population, household, and property ownership growth suddenly become proportionally unsustainable revenue for Fulton County education spending? If these questions puzzle you, vote NO for E-SPLOST.
"E-SPLOST is the most unfair tax" says Wallace Rhodes
http://lagrangenews.com/opinion/11968/letter-e-splost-is-the-most-unfair-tax
Since the eSPLOST (Education Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax) program was created in 1996, 94% of all referendums have passed. And some of our local JC politicians(RINOs) who know it will pass this time also, have shamelessly endorsed this in order to be on the winning side. Let these girly men know that Nancy Jester has bigger ballz than them.
https://blog.nancyjester.com/2016/05/15/no-on-e-splost-heres-why/
"It is just a scam to get you to vote for a 15% tax increase so the school board doesn't have to do it" says an old post at the conservative Redstate.
http://www.redstate.com/diary/dhancock/2015/10/31/vote-esplost/
Another oldie but a goodie:
"In the land of fairy tales and nursery rhymes, there was an Emperor who got hoodwinked into parading around his kingdom in nothing but his birthday suit. The hoodwinker was an opportunistic salesperson who took advantage of the fact that no one dared to question the Emperor – what he said was law, even if it didn’t make sense."
"... there is no guarantee that “technology improvements” won’t go to politically connected cronies with “technology improvement” companies that will charge a premium for their product at the taxpayer’s expense."
http://patch.com/georgia/duluth/vote-no-to-the-esplost-no-more-new-clothes-for-the-emperor
SPLOST is also one of the most un-American ways to tax. It's the ultimate in taxation WITHOUT representation.
It's mob rule, and that mob can be the smallest of minorities of the total population.
The elections are never with a major election, so it's guaranteed to have a low turnout (helps with the success rate).
You cannot stop a SPLOST by having another vote to end it early.
People think they are getting someone else to pay for their services. But the majority of the bill is being footed by your community, make no doubt about that.
There is no real accountability in how the SPLOST dollars are spent.
Who will you vote out of office? The politicians will claim that they did not pass the tax.
It's interesting to see all the intense opposition to the such tiny tax increases. Wow. We live in the best country on earth. So much to appreciate and people just complain. Ironically, the same people whining are most likely not practicing capitalism. I say this, because any one who actually invested in themselves and their country would be laughing their way to the bank. The stock market has tripled in the past seven years, mortgage rates have collapsed, gas prices are low, Bush lowered income taxes and Obama kept them for everyone complaining.....yet instead of appreciating, people just complain. The government gives so many chances for the everyone to better themselves, tons of tax breaks - retirement account tax deductions, mortgage interest deductions, preferred capital gains tax rate, stepped up basis for inheritance, etc.... and still instead of appreciating, people just complain. Sure government isn't perfect, but for those complaining, the government is probably more efficient with your money than you are - other wise you would be appreciating America instead of complaining about it. Government spending needs to be kept under control, but constantly complaining about any tax is not a solution. Did the people save all of their Bush tax cuts? Did the people save all of the pre gas tax increase money? Of course not - if they did, they would not be complaining. The government gives everyone plenty of tax breaks, and it's okay to spend some SPLOST money on roads and schools. I would have preferred a gas tax increase so drivers pay for the roads, but more energy is being devoted to gun laws and religious freedom laws instead of transportation funding, so we now have to do a SPLOST.
Let's invest in America. Let's Appreciate America
We have invested in America. We are getting a negative return on our investment.
And it's none of your concern whether I spend or save any tax cut I receive.
It is my earnings in the first place.
Otherwise we are just slaves to government.
BTW, the Federal Government has NEVER collected more tax dollars than what they do today.
So why do we have any issues at all?
You are correct it is none of my business what you do with your money.....except when you don't save enough and end up leaning on the government at retirement time. Yes - the Federal Government collects more than ever.....it's called inflation....it also costs more than ever to buy a movie ticket and to go to college and to build and maintain our infrastructure. Keep in mind, just because you are not receiving food stamps - you are still receiving benefits from the government. As we speak, the military is protecting us. Most people don't even pay their pro rated share in Federal taxes to cover the military expense to cover them.
The government allows you to deduct $18k a year into the 401k. My wife and I are middle class, but add $36k to our retirement accounts each year....that gives us an instant $9,000 annual tax savings each year in the 25% bracket. If most people did that, they would not be slaves to the government, they would be financially secure and they won't get upset over trivial gas tax and sales tax increases.
We have issues because most Americans don't save. They just complain. If there were issues, we would not have people risking their lives to come here. We would not need to put a wall up if America is so bad.
"We have issues because most Americans don’t save."
Government does not want you to save. Have you not seen where the Federal Reserve Bank has interest rates? It's to get you to spend rather than save.
I am not sure what government is protecting you from in nearly every country on the planet, but I am pretty certain Americans would not like it if the Chinese and the Russians and Germans and the French all had bases scattered throughout America.
But you might be ok with that.
But the way, inflation has nothing to do with the Federal Goverment's record take of our incomes. Nice try though.
If the government does not want you to save, why do they keep increasing the amount you can add to retirement accounts over time? When I started working about twenty years ago, the max 401k limit was around $8,000 per year. Now it is $18,000 with a catch up of $24,000 annually for those over age 50. IRA contributions were initially limited to $2000 annually, then $3000 and now they are up to $5500 annually. Each individual should invest according to their risk tolerance. Why would anyone including a retired person leave too much in cash? Cash pays nothing.....but the equity market has done very well over decades and even the bond market did quite well from the 1980s onwards as interest rates dropped.
Sure, I haven't seen a pay raise in some time and my cash earns nothing....but I have more than made up of for it on my equity positions and rising values of my real estate holdings, which by the way have very low mortgage rates.....thanks to the Federal Reserve keeping rates artificially low. The Fed kept rates low, I gobbled up real estate and kept putting the max into my retirement accounts and am much better off than a few years ago. The government allows us to write the interest off on all of our properties and claim depreciation. If they did not us to save, they would not allow all these freebies. That's the idea. Take care of yourself. Not rely on the government. However, most people claiming to want smaller government are not taking care of themselves.....if they were taking care of themselves they would not be complaining.
First of all, the Federal Reserve should not be "keeping rates artificially low". Secondly, "the government allows us to write the interest off on all of our properties and claim depreciation". The government should not be "fixing" wealth creation and because of government intervention, salaries are not being raised and cash is not earning anything. Government safety nets should be for folks who truly could not plan for themselves, as was intended when the programs were created in the 1930's.
You aren't free if the government is permitting you to do things...that means the government can restrict as well, which is wealth creation in this instance.
I agree with what you say, however I view the government allowing us the freebies as a way of encouraging the middle class to save and invest instead of a form of permission. Sure if they remove the tax advantages of certain investments we may stop investing in them, but we will always be allowed to invest in what ever asset we choose. The tax advantages just provide additional encouragement.
Writing of your interest of properties is not to allow you to save. It is to stimulate demand, by making housing "affordable" for more buyers.
You live in an economy that is based on consumption not savings. It's why the Fed lowered interest rates, it's why you are given certain tax breaks for making the proper purchases.
Your comment that most people want a smaller government are not taking care off themselves-can you prove that? Cite any study or poll that supports this.
I made that claim based on roughly half of Americans are Republicans who favor smaller government and half are Democrats based on the popular vote of the 2012 election. However, more than half of Americans are retiring with less than adequate savings and more than half of Americans do not save aggressively, so that means some of those who want smaller government cannot be practicing capitalism if they themselves are not adequately saving or did not. I cannot cite any specific poll, but it seems every few days on CNBC or Fox Business News (the two main channels I flip back and forth between when the stock market is open) there is some poll showing how the current retiree generation or to be generation is not prepared. I realize you take everything with a grain of salt and don't believe everything you hear, but just review some of the comments on this website how some people are commenting "How much more can we handle"....again over pennies. To me, if some one cannot handle a few extra pennies, that means they have not been taking care of themselves.
Either way, I'm just glad I live in America and I will continue to do what has worked for my family for decades....live below my means, keep maxing out the retirement accounts, get 15 year mortgages on properties and most important....just enjoy life !!
So the twisted confused message from Anonymous goes like this.
(1) Your money is actually the government’s money and you should be appreciative for every penny they allow you to have.
(2) Tiny tax increases are fine regardless of how many of them you have.
(3) Government allowances are how people better themselves.
(4) Rather than oppose a tax, simply look at certain other positive aspects of our economy.
(5) Effective personal finance management means a willingness to be taxed more
(6) Saving a tax here naturally means it should be spent somewhere else
(7) Government is more efficient with your money than you are.
(8) Government spending needs to be kept under control despite their efficiency advantage with your money.
(9) Opposing a tax gets no counter argument beyond labeling it whining and complaining.
(10) Stay tuned for more of this absurd rationale from Anonymous in November when T-SPLOST offers up more metro road improvements like the GA-400 on ramp lights.
Only in America would one feel they get taxed with zero benefits.....we have clean running water 24 hours a day. You pick up the phone and the police, fire or ambulance immediately come. Our roads are paved. Millions of people risk their lives to come here, many for basic labor intensive jobs and they see the benefits of this country, while many Americans sit in their central air conditioned homes seeing no benefits.
I do think most people should appreciate what they have. Most people have convinced themselves they are paying a lot in taxes, but they true heavy tax payers aren't complaining. Do you see Wall Street CEO's complaining? Do you see NFL players turning down their hefty salary over taxes? Do you see medical schools begging for applicants?
Even Mitt Romney said "47% don't pay taxes" and Paul Ryan wants to "broaden the base" to get more people to pay their fair share. TSPLOST and gas taxes are a way to expand the base.
If people would actually practice capitalism the government would not need to expand. If the people saved for themselves, social security would not be needed, if people got their own health insurance Obama Care would have been created.
It's next to impossible for one not to too succeed in America. Funny how Indians, Koreans, Jews and others can rise up so fast in this country while the Americans who have been in the USA for generations languish. Are the ones left behind updating their skill sets to compete in a Global economy?
I simply am suggesting we get people to pay their fair share and appreciate that they themselves are allowed such generous tax deductions at the expense of the real tax payers...the ones making 7 and 8 figures.
On one hand the GOP says we need to get more people to pay their fair share in taxes....which I agree....but on the other hand, they don't want to raise a single tax, even user fees such as gas taxes or SPLOST which is subsidized by visitors. So how are you going to get more people to have skin in the game?
I do not want to see a raise in another tax or current ones. My reasons are quite simple we are taxed enough already!
I currently pay federal income tax, state income tax, capital gains tax, sales taxes, property tax, gas tax, tax on my phone, tax on my electric, natural gas tax, water and sewer tax, fees for any type of construction I want to conduct on my property, I can go on but the taxes are to numerous to list out.
I also pay any tax and fee levied on any business where I purchase a product as well as any tax and fee levied on the product I purchase. Remember businesses do not pay taxes they merely collect them and pass that cost onto the customer when the product is sold. When you sit down and figure what you truly pay the government in taxes and fees it is far north of 50 percent of a person's annual income. With all this money the government still cries pour. Do we have clean water yes, police and fire yes, paved roads yes but this is minuscule in costs to what the government is wasting our hard earned dollars on, it is time to tell the government enough!
If you feel it is important to give the government more money than write a personal check stop making me pay for your liberal agenda thinking you need to take care of anyone who makes bad decisions.
A lot of taxes you mentioned are consumption based, not income based. If you make 50k but pay a sales tax of 7% on a burrito at Taco Bell that is 7% on a dollar not on your salary. As for corporations passing all taxes on to consumers, that only works if they have that kind of demand. The cost of a burrito or french fries or I phones does not always change with the tax rate. Other factors such as competition are involved in determining the sales price of an item.
I believe in best value. I don't buy the lowest price home, lowest price car, lowest price furniture - I buy the one that I believe gives me the best value. Same with taxes, I prefer best value - I would rather pay 7.75% sales tax for five years and have the items on the TSPLOST 85% list done than pay 7% sales tax and sit in gridlock. The cool thing about TSPLOST is every visitor in Fulton County pays towards our roads. When the Superbowl comes to Atlanta in 2019, all the money spent in Fulton County by outsiders will help our local roads.
I am not asking you or anyone to pay for my agendas. I am asking everyone to pay their fair share towards needed community improvements. I do pay capital gains tax, I do pay Obama Care tax on my income over 250k, I actually pay 39.6% marginal rate to the Feds and 6% to GA. I would simply like others to have some skin in the game to make needed infrastructure improvements to our local community.
You call my agendas Liberal but they are actually at the heart of the conservative agenda. We are asking people to pay their fair share. The ones on top are the ones shouldering the burden, but they ironically don't care. The guys on top, Million dollar+ salaries are supporting the guy making 75k who has convinced himself he is being taxed too much.
We clearly will not agree on this topic. I hope those against asking others to pay their fair share have a back up plan. Saying no to Marta, Saying no to roads, Saying no to gas tax hikes, saying no to Sales tax hikes has left us in gridlock.
There is no such thing as a "fair share" when you go from taxing for needs to wants.
You might think it's cool that "some" visitors will pay a token amount in towards TSPLOST, but it's a drop in the bucket for what will come out of the pockets of the taxpayers that live here. More than 70 million will come out of the pockets of Johns Creek residents directly. So there is no free ride.
What has left us in gridlock is poor planning, and not a lack of spending. Attend a few city council meetings and you will see a lack of planning on every important issue.
The very fact that your liberal agenda is shared with conservatives is also part of the problem. There are too many Rs running around that are just an R because that's what they have to be to run for office. Once they are elected they want to tax and spend as much as they can get away with.
There are 70,000 residents in Johns Creek. $70 million spread over 70,000 residents is $1000. That is over five years so basically $200 per year or 55 cents per day per Johns Creek resident to get the items on T-SPLOST 85% list done. To me 55 cents a day per resident is a great bargain to alleviate traffic and create construction jobs.
And just who is paying the taxes for the children in your count?
I suggest you contact your council and ask them to double the property taxes for this purpose.
It's the same result without all the additional overhead required by TSPLOST.
We also have a chance every two years to vote them out three or four at a time if we are not seeing the results.
That sounds much more fair: We pay for our needed improvements as you suggest, and we are not encumbered by all of the nonsense that goes along with TSPLOST.
The parents pay for the children in my count. That is why I said 55 cents per person.
I believe our positions on this issue are clear. We will find out soon enough in November what the voters decide.
More like 72 cents per day per adult, or 263.67 per year. (More than 30% of the population is under 18 in Johns Creek)
Already your estimates of what it will cost is off by 31%.
The total cost did not change. It is still 70 million. You are spreading the cost over adults, while I spread it over 70,000 total residents. Run your numbers with 72 cents for adults and zero cents for the 30% under age eighteen and we are back to 55 cents spread over 70,000 residents.
In either case, pennies, once again, it's all pocket change to get the things on T-SPLOST 85% list done.
If someone can't handle the few extra pennies, they can simply drive over to a Kroger, Publix, Walmart, etc... in Gwinnett county or Forsyth county if they really want to save those pennies. Every location in Johns Creek is within a few miles of either Forsyth County or Gwinnett County border.
So for a family of 5, at 55 cents per person per day comes to a total of $1003.75 per year and that is only assuming the number of 70 million to be correct. This is money a person can no longer use to support their family if passed.
This is a tax that will be implemented county wide where there are many families of 5 who cannot afford this increase. Based on your own logic of people not saving and becoming dependent on the government this new tax will only force more people in the county on to government assistance. With the additional people on government assistance it will require the government to again raise taxes.
This is a continuous downward spiral of taxation. It will not stop. It will continue because people say it is only a few pennies. The problem is when the government starts taking more of the pennies a person earns than they allow them to keep than we have a problem. We are at that stage now. Every time a new tax is sold, it is sold on just pennies. Well pennies add up to dollars and they are my dollars, not the governments.
When the government can show they can responsibly spend the dollars they have then we can talk additional taxes, but at this point this entire TSPLOST is a bad bill.
Before you push TSPLOST I ask you to go and actually read the bill. You will see it for the joke it really is.
Tier 1 projects are going to be primarily funded with state and federal dollars which means a majority of the TSPLOST money will be spent on tier 3 projects which are a joke.
You will also see how much of the money will be wasted on just the required administration of the TSPLOST by feeding the bureaucracy of the state, county, and city government which will never be used to fix traffic.
I again please ask you to get informed on the bill or any type of new tax before you blindly jump in line to take more of the citizens hard earned money.
It is my understanding from reading one of the attachments from the City Council meeting post on this website that new T-SPLOST funds were not subject to "balancing" and were in addition to any state or federal funding.
I agree, for many in other parts of Fulton County, the additional increase can be noticeable. My position on this is thru the eyes of a Johns Creek resident, where the average household income should easily be able to absorb the temporary five year increase, especially to fix their own roads. I realize people also make less than average, but they also will spend less than average and will pay less than 55 cents a day, while others like myself, who spend more than average will pay more. If I lived in College Park or East Point and had a below average salary, I would probably vote no, since they already have heavy rail and multiple bus routes. However, many agree that traffic is at the top of the list of gripes in Johns Creek, and that is why I support this measure for Johns Creek residents.
Instead of a blanket "government is wasteful" would it possible for those against T-SPLOST to offer a list of items for consideration to be trimmed from the budget so we may find the funds without tax increases? The same way we have a list of Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3 projects if the measure passes - what if we offered specific items to be trimmed from the budget to free up funding for the infrastructure improvements. I would be open to that.
Let's not also forget that for most off us these are "after tax" dollars we are spending, so we have already paid taxes on these dollars at least once, and maybe more.
You are correct Anonymous; the TSPLOST money is not balanced. That is why the tax will mainly be used for Tier 3 projects. When the city receives State and Federal money for the Tier 1 and Tier 2 projects it frees up the money to be moved down to Tier 3 projects. According to the law the money must be spent on the project list only, which means a majority of the TSPLOST money in Johns Creek will be spent on the Tier 3 items. Few of which will do anything to increase traffic flow.
As for where the city can save money without raising taxes to help traffic flow there are several areas.
First off, over the last 9 years the City of Johns Creek has placed on average 7 million dollars a year into reserves. Rather than putting all this money into reserve I propose at least 70% of this money be allocated to road projects.
Second, many of the contracts the city has with sub-contractors are written in favor of the contractors and not in the favor of the city. I propose when the current city contracts expire, they are required to be re-written and sent out for bid. One of the city’s largest costs is its contract with CH2M. This is a contract that has never gone out for rebid since the city’s inception.
By opening up these contracts for rebid each time it guarantees competition, which would automatically drive the costs down or at a minimum make sure we as taxpayers are not being gouged. With these savings it again opens up financial resources to be applied towards traffic.
There are many other opportunities to open up cash flow by just applying good management standards at the city, which I believe are not in place at this time.
I agree, do not just throw stones, but come with solutions to the problem. I believe in looking at many different solutions to a problem and then selecting the best solution. Unfortunately, it seems the government only has one solution to a problem and that is always they need more money.