SPLOST extended because of stronger support in western half of Coweta

Coweta County voters have spoken and SPLOST will be extended for another six years to allow the county and the towns within the county to move forward on a list of transportation and other capital improvement projects. A total of 26.2 percent of Coweta's 71,046 registered voters cast ballots on SPLOST, with 52.81 percent of the vote favoring extending the tax while 47.19 percent said it was time stop it. The vote was 9,681-8,651. We found one of the most interesting observations after the vote count was the eastern part of the county did not support SPLOST as much as the western part. There were exceptions to the east/west split. For example, the majority of the voters casting ballots in Senoia and Turin in the eastern part of the county voted "yes" to SPLOST.
However, "no" votes prevailed in these precinct: Ebenezer Church Road, Thomas Crossroads, Canongate, Madras, White Oak, Haralson, Cedar Creek and Fischer Road. These precincts -- except Madras and Cedar Creek -- are east of Interstate 85 and generally considered in the eastern part of the county. The precinct with a majority vote in favor of SPLOST were: Senoia, Moreland, Pine Road, Dresden, Newnan, Sharpsburg, Grantville, Welcome Panther Creek, Raymond, Turin, Smokey Road, Turkey Creek, Central, Arts Centre, Greentop, Expo Center, Westside, Northside and Jefferson Parkway. Most of these precincts -- not all -- are west of Interstate 85. The numbers show many of the areas in the eastern part of the county that have grown so rapidly in the past two decades oppose SPLOST more than other areas of the county. Does that mean the Tea Party crowd, which generally opposes tax increases or tax extensions, has greater numbers in the eastern part of the county? Also, is there anything in these numbers that gives us a clue as to what may happen when the regional TSPLOST vote comes up this summer? That vote won't come until July 31, but our crystal ball says TSPLOST, which would raise sales taxes another penny for each dollar spent, will be a much tougher sale than Tuesday's SPLOST extension. Our guess today is that Coweta voters will reject this TSPLOST tax increase this summer.

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