The Chatter Box
By Deborah Bennett

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.