Rebecca Johnston
Cherokee Tribune Managing Editor
Cherokee Tribune Managing Editor
Local tea party organizations and their leaders such as Carolyn Cosby and Conrad Quagliaroli are also vehemently against the proposed 1 percent sales tax
While Cherokee County has been promised $268.5 million of the about $279 million the tax expected to generate in Cherokee would remain in the county, many residents and elected leaders alike are decrying its tie-in to funding for rapid transit and MARTA.
The tax is expected to generate around $8 billion over the next decade in the region.
Projects in Cherokee County are the widening Highway 140/Hickory Flat Highway between Interstate 575 and the Fulton County line and replacing the bridge on Bells Ferry Road over Lake Allatoona.
Highway 140 will be widened from two to four lanes and will cost $190 million.
The Little River bridge project is expected to cost about $7 million. Right now school buses cannot use the bridge because it is so narrow and dangerous, and must take a longer route to cross Allatoona Lake.
Of that $268.5 million, the county will divide up 15 percent, or $71.5 million, among its six cities.
State Rep. Sean Jerguson (R-Holly Springs) was once one of those pushing the tax, along with Holly Springs Mayor Tim Downing, but now both are opposed to the bill, and Jerguson is attempting to have the issue pulled from the ballot.
Jerguson’s opponent, Scot Turner, is also against the transportation tax, as are Rep. Charlice Byrd, (R-Woodstock) and her opponent Michael Caldwell.
While charter schools and public education funding are the hot topics in the race for Senate District 21 between incumbent Senate Majority Leader Chip Rogers and Brandon Beach, who is on the state Department of Transportation Board, the TSPLOST issue could provide some lively debate as well.
The two go head to head Monday night at the fifth debate sponsored by the Cherokee County Republican Party at GOP headquarters in Towne Lake, Rogers’ old home neighborhood.
A record crowd is expected for the evening, which also includes the debate for Cherokee School Board District 1 between newcomers Kelly Marlow, who is the charter school favorite, and public education pick Kyla Cromer.
WRONG NUMBER — A number of residents reported they received a robocall this past weekend blasting Cherokee County school board member Janet Read, who is also a candidate for the newly created School board chairperson position.
She is running against Danny Dukes, a member of the governing council for Cherokee Charter Academy and the Georgia Charter Educational Foundation’s governing board that manages the charter school.
The number that showed up on caller ID for some of those receiving the robocall was the number for Wilt Realty, former Woodstock Mayor Bill Dewrell’s business.
Dewrell told the Tribune, though, that he did not know anything about the robocall.
He said he received a call from a woman who said the call was “something for Janet Read,” but that he did not know Read and had never met her.
The call also riled up the Cherokee County School District, because the number to call Read and complain about taxes given by the female voice on the call was that of the school offices, not Read’s personal number.
Read said she is examining options on filing an ethics complaint, as the robocall did not identify who was paying for it.
“Around Cherokee” is compiled by Rebecca Johnston and the editorial staff of the Cherokee Tribune.
funding will maintain current levels of service and the existing route structure for ten years..." Without the successful passage of the regional TSPLOST, funding for the continued operation of Xpress Bus service doesn't exist at this time. Without passage of the regional TSPLOST, the Bells Ferry/Little River bridge isn't expected to be constructed until 2018-2030. In fact, every highway project in Cherokee is presently planned for construction between 2018 and 2030. But if the TSPLOST passes, every project will be completed by 2022 almost 10 years prior to the existing timeline. By law the tax must end in 10 years or less, only the designated projects can be built, an annual audit will tell everyone if projects are on time and on budget and local elected officials, and not some faceless bureaucrat in Atlanta or Washington decides how we invest our dollars. Those are the facts and voters should consider the facts and not insinuations and misinformation. All the facts are at atlantaregionalroundtable.com for people to see.