Ideas abound for sales tax money

Good Lord. Who can think up numbers this high. $2.3 million to build an animal control building. Do you realize what a non-government entity could build with $2.3 million? Instead of over priced projects, why not leave it in the economy for five years, and see what happens. If getting a $600 check helps the nation, think what reducing our cost on food, fuel, vehicles, clothing, and junk by 1 percent would do for the health of this county.

2 million for the State Highway Patrol Post. Supposedly, increased ticket revenue in Columbia County will pay for the cost. According to the GSP that's not the case. Their officers will be patrolling in rural areas up I-20 and not in Columbia County.

Amen, Judge. Columbia County would prosper beyond belief if the SPLOST was mercifully allowed to expire and the sales tax dollars kept in the pockets of residents and visitors. One other benefit. The sales tax RATE would drop to a level below Richmond's and McDuffie's, so people from those counties would come to Columbia to shop for big ticket items, such as refrigerators and building supplies. Even more tax revenue would come in.

I wish they would spend some of that transportation money to build some of those roundabouts we read about in the paper a few days ago.

So now there's going to be another bond taken out for storm water projects? I'd assume this bond is going to be paid for with sales tax dollars as reported above, in which case those of us 'lucky' enough to have been forced to pay storm water taxes for the past ten years are now going to be taxed twice. Thanks so much Ron Doublecross and company! Your thoughtlessness is truly appreciated.

The stormwater infrastructure should be paid for by the people developing the county, since they are adding to the runoff. But you will not see a change in policy to make this happen. By the way, remember that the developers do not pay taxes, they merely collect them from the ultimate owners of the property. It's only fair for the owners of the newly-developed property to pay for the infrastructure to serve their new needs.

The owners of newly developed property in most areas of CC aren't necessarily the ones who are paying the storm water fees. If all areas of CC being developed paid the fees there wouldn't be a shortfall of funds nor would there be any animosity regarding the fees. Unfortunately it seems the county deems that only a chosen few should be required to pay the fees and apparently now they've decided to add a bond paid for by a sales tax in order to continue storm water work. If they want to do this, fine, but if they're going to finance bonds for this work with SPLOST funds then they need to stop double dipping and quit charging fees to those of us who are currently being forced to pay them. But you're absolutely correct - charge the developers and let them pass those costs along to the buyers. It's not taking any money out of their pockets and an additional thousand or two added to the price of a home over here really isn't that much difference even though they'd like you to believe it is.

If 1% SPLOST is a good thing for Columbia and Richmond Counties, wouldn't 2 or 3% be better?