GA HB 170 would force local boards of education to raise taxes

The Valdosta and Lowndes school boards and the Valdosta City Council all already unanimously passed resolutions against Georgia HB 170, which would convert a local motor fuel sales tax into a state excise tax, forcing local governments to raise taxes to support education and transportation, and would set counties against their cities for allocation of taxes. This is relevant to the first item in LCDP’s platform:

Georgia Democrats believe every child in every classroom in every school in every county in Georgia should have access to a high quality public education.

The Lowndes County Commission meets tonight at 5:30 PM at 327 North Ashley Street, and still has nothing about HB 170 on its agenda, although Commissioners did at its retreat last week hear a report about HB 170 and consider doing something about HB 170 after more final bill text was known. That text is known now that a Georgia House subcommittee changed it last night.

Lowndes County Democrats may want to urge the County Commission and the Georgia legislature to raise transportation taxes itself instead of taking from local school boards and governments.

-jsq