Citizens Aim To 'Ax the Tax'

A sunny Sunday afternoon provided a final opportunity for both sides of the debate surrounding the Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax to rally support at Marietta Square before Tuesday's referendum.

The SPLOST foes hit Glover Park in the square first for their Ax the Tax Rally. Speakers included Tom Maloy, and member of the board of directors of the Georgia Tea Party; Bob Barr, a former congressman and presidential candidate; and Lance Lamberton, who leads the Cobb County Taxpayers Association and represented SPLOST opponents at the .

Rally attendee Amy Barnes said she strongly opposes the SPLOST for many reasons. She said the tax is "forcing us to work so the rich can sit and enjoy it."

"It's just a slush fund," added Gayle Murphy from the Georgia Tea Party. "A lot of the SPLOST money wasn't used. The general fund has enough money; they just have to choose to spend the money wisely."

One common complaint was that the cost of Tuesday's special election is $400,000, but Cobb County could have arranged to include the issue on the ballot last fall and saved that money.

A couple hours after the SPLOST protest, advocates of the 1 percent sales tax for capital projects in Cobb took their turn in the square for a Family Fun Day.

The SPLOST vote will be held Tuesday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. You can check your voting location online at Secretary of State Brian Kemp’s website. Patch will have coverage throughout the day.

To read more on SPLOST, click here.