Local voters are being asked to decide whether or not the current Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) should be renewed for an additional six years. A "Special Election" to decide the matter is being held in conjunction with the Feb. 5 Presidential Preference Election, and absentee voting is already underway.

Residents should be aware that this is not an additional tax or a tax increase. The county and city are asking for the renewal of the present one-cent SPLOST to fund needed capital improvement purchases and projects.

Items previously purchased by the county with SPLOST funds include a new garbage truck, a bulldozer and road equipment. The county also paid off its longterm debt with SPLOST revenue. The city has purchased a garbage truck and police cars and has SPLOST funds earmarked for a new well.

Both the county and city have indicated that without SPLOST, property owners can expect to see a sizeable tax increase. It is a matter of extreme importance that voters should consider carefully prior to going to the polls.

I personally feel that SPLOST is the fairest of all taxes because everyone pays - not just property owners.

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Happy birthday this week to: Jessica Herrington, Matt Wallace, Dee Dailey, Florine Aaron, Sharon Jenkins, Dean Brinson, Iesha Williams, Terry Thompson, Jessica Aaron, Joanne Sharpe and Anna Griffin.

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Celebrating wedding anniversaries are: Mr. and Mrs. Ray Roberts and Mr. and Mrs. Mitch Fleming.

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Military Active Duty List: Petty Officer 3rd Class Eric B. Kelsey, U.S. Navy, NSA Bahrain; PV2 Ashley Clifton, U.S. Army, Yongsan, Korea; Airman First Class Charles F. Woods, Moody Air Force Base, Valdosta, GA; Capt. Andrew P. Thomas, U.S. Marines, F.A.S.T. Company, Yorktown, VA; Stuart Burrus, U.S. Air Force, Ali Al Salem AFB, Kuwait; SPC 4 Travis D. Motes, 1st Calvary Division, Camp Taji, Iraq; Capt. Donald Slade Burke, Travis Air Force Base, Fairfield, Calif.; Staff Sgt. Gilbert C. Sheppard III, 48th Brigade, 118th Field Artillery, Iraq; Petty Officer 3rd Class Jamie A. Yager, U.S. Navy, Marine Corps Base Hawaii; Petty Chief Officer Andy D. Crosby, U.S. Navy, Elroy Destroyer, Norfolk, Va.; Stephanie Crosby, R.N., U.S. Navy, Lafayette Destroyer; LCPL Dwain "Cade" Lee, 1st Marine Division Combat Service Support Group II Security Element, ArRamadi, Iraq; Jimmy Cooper, U.S. Army National Guard, 878th Engineering Battalion-Augusta, Persian Gulf ; 1st Lt. J.R. Taylor, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Iraq; SPC. Daniel Stuart, 18th MEDCOM, 121 General Hospital, Seoul, Korea; Jeffrey Sweat, U.S. Navy, USS Kauffman, MM3 59/E-Division, A-Gang, Norfolk, Va.; Cpl. Larry Lamont Clark, U.S. Marine Corp, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C. Bagdad, Iraq; Khan Young, U.S. Navy, U.S.S. Kitty Hawk, Persian Gulf; Robert Milton Jr., E-3, U.S. Army, Ft. Stewart, Hinesville, Ga., Mission Kuwait; Arnold R. Mosley, 2nd Lt., U.S. Air Force, Randolph AFB, Texas; and Debra A. Mosley, Tech. Sgt., U.S. Air Force, Randolph AFB, Texas.