NOTICE OF SPECIAL ELECTION TO CONSIDER A ONE (1%) PERCENT SPECIAL LOCAL OPTION SALES TAX FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES TO: THE QUALIFIED VOTERS OF THE BEN HILL COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that on the 16th day of March, 2021, a special election will be held at the regular polling place in ALL the elections districts of the Ben Hill County School District, at which time there will be submitted to the qualified voters of Ben Hill County, Georgia (which encompasses the School District), for their determination the question of whether an additional 1% special purpose local option sales tax for educational purposes (1% E-SPLOST) as follows: “Shall the special 1 percent sales and use tax for education currently in effect in Ben Hill County be continued for a period of time not to exceed 20 calendar quarters and for the raising of not more than $16,000,000.00 for the purposes of: (1) replacement of schools and/or construction of new schools, including any necessary demolition; (2) adding to, renovating, repairing, improving, furnishing, and /or equipping existing school buildings, including the central office, transportation and maintenance facilities, including necessary demolition; (3) adding to, constructing, renovating, furnishing, and/or equipping athletic facilities; (4) acquiring equipment, instruments and/or materials for the fine arts, vocational, physical education and athletic departments; (5) renovations, additions, and/or improvements to parking, traffic access facilities and transportation department, including paving and any necessary site work; (6) acquiring instructional and/or administrative technology equipment and materials; (7) acquiring safety, security, and/or fire protection equipment; (8) acquiring buses, vehicles, and/or transportation equipment; (9) acquiring property; and/or (10) retiring the current general obligation debt with respect to capital outlay projects of the School District (collectively, the “Projects”) ?” ( ) YES ( ) NO All qualified voters desiring to vote in favor of the continuing of the special 1% sales and use tax for education (the “Special 1% Tax”) shall vote “Yes” and all qualified voters opposed to levying the Special 1% Tax shall vote “No”. If more than one-half of the votes cast are in favor of continuing the Special 1% Tax, then the Special 1% Tax shall be imposed beginning January 1, 2022, or the first day of the calendar quarter immediately following the quarter in which the Special 1% Tax now in effect is terminated. The maximum period of time for which the Special 1% Tax shall be imposed shall be twenty (20) consecutive calendar quarters (five years). The maximum cost of the capital outlay projects for educational purposes described in the above ballot question to be funded with Special 1% Tax proceeds shall be $16,000,000.00. To the extent available, the Ben Hill County School District may combine available funds from any state or federal government al source to which the Ben Hill County School District may be entitled to pay the costs of its capital outlay projects, and the Board of Education may choose what capital outlay projects to undertake or not undertake or to delay until additional funding is available to the extent that the proceeds of the Special 1% Tax is insufficient to complete any of the capital outlay projects. Plans and specifications for the capital outlay projects described in the above ballot question have not been initiated and bids have not been received. Depending upon acquisition and construction costs and available funds, the Board of Education may add to, modify, or delete specific projects. The several places for holding said election shall be at the regular and established voting precinct s of the election districts of Ben Hill County, Georgia, and the polls will be open from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on the date fixed for the special election. The last day to register to vote in this special election shall be February 16, 2021. Those residents of Ben Hill County, Georgia, qualified to vote at such election shall be determined in all respects in accordance with the election laws of the State of Georgia. This notice is given pursuant to a resolution of the Board of Education of Ben Hill County and a resolution of the Ben Hill County Board of Elections and Registration. /s/ Gary D. Smith, Chair Board of Education of Ben Hill County /s/ David Walker, Chairman Ben Hill County Board of Elections and Registration
