Hart County BOE Tries Again for eSPLOST Voter Approval

The Hart County School Board will try again in November to get voter approval for an eSPLOST.

According to a report in the Hartwell Sun, the board met for a called session August 4th to approve putting the eSPLOST referendum on the November ballot.

Last November, Hart County voters rejected the continuation of the last eSPLOST, despite a diligent campaign to win taxpayers over.

The School Board hopes to raise some $13,5 million with the penny sales tax over a five-year period.

If approved, Hart County School Superintendent Jerry Bell said the monies would be used to build a new high school gym, a new college and career academy and a new high school agriculture center.

But the eSPLOST is already getting pushback from some local property owners.

Members of the Hart County Property Owners Association are concerned about the projects and their priorities as well as whether the amount of revenue the school board hopes for would actually come in.

Bell said the eSPLOST also includes the sale of $8.5 million in bonds.

The referendum must clear the County Probate office and be submitted to the State by August 15th in order to be put on the November ballot.