At least two Columbia County school board members say the narrowness of Tuesday's 1-cent sales tax passage might indicate tough times for future funding levies.
"There could be trouble for future (penny sales taxes), whether they're for education or the Board of Commissioners," said board member Mike Sleeper.
Just 50.7 percent of Tuesday's Columbia County voters approved of the sales tax renewal expected to generate $180 million. The vote was 26,419 to 25,690.
Mr. Sleeper said he believes, however, most voters respond more favorably to education sales taxes because they contain fewer frills.
"This one (the county sales tax proposal) had needs, but it also had some wants," he said, referring to items such as park expansions and a $4 million parking garage at the Evans Justice Center. "An education (sales tax) is pretty much all needs."
Board member Roxanne Whitaker said she expects the school board to push a sales tax renewal referendum in 2010 and that should provide enough time to ease voter anxiety.
"I'm hoping they realize that when the school board asks for a (penny tax), we do it out of necessity, like building new schools because of overcrowding," Mrs. Whitaker said. "We're not asking for parking decks at any of our schools."
The current school board sales tax runs 2007 to 2012. School officials expect it to earn between $90 million to $115 million. It has funded the completion of Evans Middle School, the building of Stallings Island Middle School and ongoing construction of Grovetown High School.
The sales tax revenues also will fund the addition of classroom computers, purchase of school buses, school renovations, land acquisition and the construction of elementary schools.
In suburban Atlanta's Fayette County, which has a school system with a similar population and demographics as Columbia County, voters narrowly approved a new education sales tax for the first time.
Its sales tax passed Tuesday by just 1,200 votes -- 28,913 to 27,713 -- after voters had defeated three previously proposed sales tax referendums, said Melinda Berry-Dreisback, a Fayette school spokeswoman.
"The first three times, we were going after buildings," Ms. Berry-Dreisback said. "This time around, it wasn't about building schools. It was about preserving our programs."
Likewise, Ms. Whitaker wants Columbia County voters to know that the school board also is just wanting to get by.
"We're just looking to improve education for our kids."
Reach Donnie Fetter at (706) 868-1222, ext. 115,or donnie.fetter@augustachronicle.com.
AQUATICS CENTER
Though a 1-cent sales tax passed in Columbia County, voters sunk an $18 million bond referendum to build an aquatics and tennis center. The referendum failed by a 13,505 margin.
Just 19,253 voted for the natatorium planned for the Gateway area near Grovetown, while 32,758 voted against it.
"I really thought the (sales tax) would go better, but I never had a lot of confidence in the aquatics center," Columbia County Commission Chairman Ron Cross said. "However, I was surprised at the margin on it. I didn't think it would be defeated that soundly."
Considering the poor economy and low voter confidence, Mr. Cross said it might take some time before officials bring back a similar referendum. In the meantime, he hopes there might be an alternative route for construction of a natatorium.
"There may be more negotiations with (The Family) Y with their desire to build a full-service facility in Columbia County that could include aquatic features, but it won't be to the degree that we would have liked to have seen it done, with a world-class facility," he said.
Family Y officials will kick off a market study early next year. A capital campaign might start during the next two years.
Family Y President Dan McConnell said it might take as long as four years to get a Y facility in the county.
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