Local Option Sales Tax (LOST) – City of Cumming and Forsyth County Split

--By Richard Ward on --

Our local governments must have adequate funds to pay for the services we all enjoy, but they should not ask for more money than their own budgets reflect they will need.

We must all live on our budgets: County Governments, City Governments, and Families.

Cities and Counties should not take more money from the taxpayers than their budget calls for. All money over and above the amount the City and County needs to pay for services to the citizens should be left with families to help them balance their own budgets.

Every dollar given to the City of Cumming over the amount they are budgeted to spend will take that dollar away from the amount that is available to be returned to all property owners through property tax reduction.

To simplify the debate—-who should have the excess funds the City is asking for—the City of Cumming, or the property owners of the entire county?

The City of Cumming has a history of spending these excess funds on things like the $831,000 paid for the Sinclair Station in downtown Cumming.  (source: Forsyth County News 8/1/11) I see zero benefit to the taxpayers for this purchase made with our tax dollars. I am sure we could create an extensive list of projects of this nature that the City paid for with our tax dollars. These projects many times are worthwhile, but should be paid for with private funding.

The choice is very simple, should the City receive these excess funds to spend on projects like the Sinclair Station, or should the money be used to reduce our property taxes?