Royston Mayors, Past and Present, Against Proposed e-SPLOST

Three former Royston City Mayors agree with current Royston Mayor David Jordan that voters should reject the current Franklin County education local option sales tax referendum.

Jordan called the meeting of the mayors Thursday to discuss the proposed e-SPLOST and its possible impact on the economy of the City in the future.

The Franklin County School Board is proposing the e-SPLOST in order to build a Career Academy at the High School and to begin work on consolidating Carnesville Primary school with Carnesville Intermediate School, as well as build a new Royston Elementary school.

But Royston city officials are worried that despite assurances from School Superintendent Dr. Ruth O’Dell, the new Royston Elementary will be located outside the city limits.

O’Dell said earlier this week no decision has been made on that and won’t be made by the current sitting school board.

But Jordan doesn’t buy it.

The Mayor says the School Board already knows what they plan to do, as evidenced by their five-year timetable if this e-SPLOST passes.

“Even though the Superintendent says it’s not happening, it could happen,” Jordan said. “We are being committed to a tax, not just now, but the moment they take that off the footprint we will be forced to raise taxes in some way to build a new school. This board is making that decision now; in this plan now.”

Former mayor Anderson Dilworth agrees and says Royston citizens should vote against this e-SPLOST because the risk of losing Royston Elementary is too great.

“I hate to say it, but we’re going to vote against the e-SPLOST,” Dilworth said. “It sounds like I’m against progress, but I’m not. Like the Mayor said, certain things have been put in place whether we like it or not. We’re being railroaded.”

Former mayor Steve Williams believes the possibility of moving Royston Elementary outside the city limits would be another nail the town’s economic coffin.

“We don’t know what’s happening. We’ve heard there’s been a committee appointed to do a feasibility study and can’t find anything out about that,” Williams said. “The Royston Elementary school means a lot to the City of Royston for the downtown businesses and everything else to help us survive. We lost the hospital, which was economically a disaster for us. So we need the school to stay here to help us grow and for the people.”

And former mayor Bill Stewart told the group he is already hearing the Board of Education is looking at land in Franklin Springs for the new Royston Elementary.

Stewart noted moving the elementary school to the county would mean added expense to the County’s budget.

“I hope this is not right, but it seems like somebody else is getting all the goodies and we’re getting nothing,” Stewart said. “We went through this before years ago when they (school board) were going to do something with the school. We had to present to them what the City was providing for the County. If the City doesn’t provide it, the County has to provide it, and that’s more money the County has to come up with.”

Jordan said he felt Thursday’s summit was productive.

Whether to continue and pass the next e-SPLOST is currently on the March 1st ballot.ys