ELLIJAY, Ga – Gilmer county citizens expressed many concerns at the November 17th Board of Education work session, one being that the Education Local Option Sales Tax (ELOST) would be discussed without being specifically listed on the agenda.The agendas for BOE meetings are posted on the Gilmer County Charter Schools website with specific items listed so that the public is able to see them. This is done so citizens can make plans to attend the meeting if something of interest to them will be discussed. As was the case for the November 17th, 2014 BOE work session.

Among the many, usual, agenda items for the monthly BOE work session list were things such as the financial report, approval of previous meetings minutes, and any new business that may need approval.

However, one of the line items under the Superintendents report was titled “Compliance/Policy.” When School Superintendent Jason Kouns reached this line item during the meeting he let it be known that this would be the time at which the ELOST resolution would be discussed. (Click the Link to view the ELOST Resolution: E-SPLOSTIVResolutionwithBOERevisions11-20-2014.pdf

It was at this time that Kouns started working his way down and explaining certain parts of the document.

Kouns first explained that the resolution allowed the county to issue up to $12.5 million in bonds that the school board could use to begin projects immediately after the referendum is voted on in March of 2015, if the referendum were to be passed.

The resolution also stated that the bonds would be approved to be issued at a current market interest rate that was not to exceed 6%.

One of the next things Kouns attested to was that the maximum amount the ELOST would collect would move from the expected $22 million to $25 million.

After Kouns spoke on the ELOST resolution, a concerned citizen took the podium to speak out on a couple of items that he saw as issues (see the video beginning at 46:45 to hear the public concerns.)

Citizen Paul Deese stated that, even if the board wasn’t trying to, it seemed as if they were trying to hide the fact that the ELOST resolution was going to be discussed at the meeting on November 17th. Deese stated that nowhere on the agenda was it stated that the ELOST would be discussed and that the only reason he knew that it was going to be talked about was because it was mentioned at a meeting over a month ago.

Deese was also concerned that only 10 days ago, at a town hall meeting, Kouns stated that the bond amount would not exceed $9 million and that the total ELOST dollar amount would be $22 million. Those numbers have now grown to $12.5 million and $25million, respectively, in a short amount of time.
Before the meeting was adjourned, a Deese asked when the finalization of the ELOST resolution would be voted on. Kouns responded to say it would be at the BOE meeting to be held on Thursday, November 20th at 5:30pm.

Deese’s had a valid concern with Kouns’ response: Voting on November 20th to finalize the ELOST resolution gives less than 72 hours for citizens to be notified of the actions to take place at the meeting.

Click here to read the entire ELOST Resolution.

(To catch up on all that’s been happening with the ELOST discussion click these articles to catch up: ELOST Discussion and ELOST Wishlist Discussion)

See the full video of the meeting below:

Gilmer Workshop from Fetch on Vimeo.