2018_ballot_questions_yes_on_5
CA #5 — Urging a YES vote
Authorizes Fair Allocation of Sales Tax Proceeds to County and City School Districts
Constitutional Amendment: SR-95 * SR-95-AP
Enabling Legislation: implementation will be by local school boards
Does the ballot question and measure name accurately and fully reflect the effect of passage without obfuscation?
Question name suggests that the current formulation is not fair, but a per-capita allocation based on full time enrollment of students seems to be an appropriate means for the distribution of educational sales taxes. We find that the ballot name is predujicial in its framing, but that the ballot question itself accurately reflects the effect of passage.
Who would benefit from the proposed change?
Passage would permit school boards representing a majority of the students in a county’s school systems to put the question to the voters of imposing a tax, without the cooperation of other school districts in the county which serve a minority of the county’s students. The existing language in this Constitutional provision, which would continue to govern were #5 defeated on November 6th, requires universal agreement among all school systems in a county in order to ask the voters to impose such a tax.
Concerns have been raised that this would permit the larger school systems in a county to impose their will on the smaller systems in a county; and that the agreement of prior school boards for a distribution formula in lieu of a per-capita allocation would bind the hands of future school boards.
An existing provision of the state Constitution limits such local sales taxes for educational purposes to a term of five or fewer years, unless re-authorized. Given that protection, the concerns raised above are minimized.
Who supports the passage of this measure?
Who supports the defeat of this measure?
What is the Georgia Green Party’s recommended position?
The Georgia Green Party urges a YES vote on Constitutional Amendment #5.