Lance Lamberton, president of the Cobb County Taxpayers Association, will argue against the special purpose local option sales tax, and Rose Wing, an attorney who heads the group, Citizens for Cobb's Future, will argue for the SPLOST.
The event will be held in the county government building at 100 Cherokee Street in Marietta, and it is open to the public. The forum will also be carried on the county's cable channel, Channel 23.
Each side will give a five-minute opening statement, and three-minute closing statement. A moderator will ask questions, including those submitted in writing by audience members. The moderator will be Gloria Beauchene, a board member of the League of Women Voters.
If the SPLOST is defeated, the county's sales tax would decline to 5 percent, from the current 6 percent, when collections of the current SPLOST end on Dec. 31.
"This significantly reduced tax rate would be a boon to Cobb County residents and business, saving consumers hundreds, if not thousands of dollars over a four-year period," said Lamberton, who had challenged his opponents to a debate on the issue.
Wing, of the pro-SPLOST group, said she was looking forward to the forum.
"As always, the more the citizens are informed, I find that they are more supportive of SPLOST, and what it means to Cobb County," she said.
Voters will decide March 15 whether to continue paying the penny-on-the-dollar sales tax. Collections of the county's existing SPLOST began Jan. 1, 2006.
If they approve, the four-year SPLOST is projected to bring in $492 million over its life. Collections would begin Jan. 1, 2012 and sunset on Dec. 31, 2015. The money raised would pay for transportation improvements, parks and maintenance and operations of county-owned facilities.
Cobb County previously collected the special sales tax from 1986 through 2000. The tax has generated about $1.6 billion from those years and the existing SPLOST.
Early voting begins Feb. 21 and continues through March 11 at the Cobb Elections Main Office, 736 Whitlock Ave., Marietta. Any registered county voter may cast a ballot there from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday during that time.
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My budget needs an addendum -- a dollar sign with zeros after it. By not continuing to pay this 1%, I stand a chance at being able to save. If small businesses do the same, then they can hire me!
The Tea Party has some capable and PROVEN citizen advocates with long term records in Cobb, not just someone who shows up before a tax referendum and declares himself a "leader."
Who is this guy? Where does he work? What does he do? What has he done (that can be proven)?
The money raised would pay for transportation improvements, parks and maintenance and operations of county-owned facilities."
I'll pay you 1 CENT PER YEAR, NOT OF EVERY DOLLAR I MAKE IN A YEAR, I GET TAX ENOUGH....MANAGE YOUR BUDGET BETTER AND THEN MAYBE YOU'LL HAVE ENOUGH.
County government has gotten its fingers into far too much. Vote No on March 15. Vote for freedom from big government.