Dear Editor,
Now that voting has begun in Greene County, you should already know enough about the various candidates and who you are voting for, or against if that is your method. Further down this year’s ballot are a few state constitutional amendments and “special” tax questions.
There are three constitutional questions on the ballot, but one that really concerns me. This amendment question proposes to increase the size of a “family farm” from 2,000 to 4,000 acres. Qualifying for this protected status brings with it tax savings for the owner. As a state, and Country, we should always we doing what we can to preserve not only the cultural heritage of family owned farms, but the benefits that being closer to the food we eat provide (e.g. healthier food, lower carbon footprint).
According to the US Dept. of Agriculture, the average size of a family farm in 253 acres. Panning out to a nation-wide view, the average for this type of farm is 466 acres. And that is “only 26 acres more than in 1970” (Farm Bureau Intel, https://www.fb.org/intel/ markets/small-family-farms-the-roots-of-american- agriculture). This is consistent with a long trend in the loss of family farms in general. So just who is this tax exemption meant to serve? For me it is just another tax break for larger agri-businesses and takes away revenue from things like public safety, health care and education.
There are three special tax questions. The first two are renewals of existing taxes. They provide Greene County with a means of spreading out our revenue needs to the visitors, of which there are many every summer. They will help with transportation issues which are always a concern in a growing county and help lower our property taxes. These both seem to be good ideas. The third item is related to education. As a former educator at the high school and college level, this issue is near and dear to my heart. My “knee-jerk” reaction is to support anything that support our schools, but the devil is always in the details. The Education Special Purpose Tax question seeks to allow the County to authorize $50,000,000 in bonds.
The general direction of this revenue is to pay for existing school repairs, educational materials and school buses. These are good ideas and much needed. My issue comes with the designation of funding for “adding to, renovating, repairing and equipping school buildings for Lake Oconee Academy” (LOA). This is not to suggest that those expenditures are not necessary and reasonable. It is the establishment of a specific purpose for this revenue that does not serve the school system at large and has not be fully vetted by the community.
LOA is a fine educational institution from all that I know about it. While identified as a “Public School” that does not charge tuition, it is not like the other schools in our County. They do not take in just any student who resides in Greene County. There is a lottery. The demand for seats is very competative because of the quality of their quality of their education results. From my perspective, this has more to do with class sizes.
Another way in which LOA differs is student transportation and attendance. While there may not be an “ability” component to enrollment, students must be brought to school, no bus transportation, and I believe their attendance mandate is 75%. How many students in the general school district would not be able to attend under these requirements.
The recent school board election seated two persons with deep connections with LOA. This is not to cast doubt on their integrity, but is must be pointed out. Even the best intentioned may have biases that they are unaware of and the wording in this proposal at the very least suggests that possibility. This is why I cannot support this proposal as written. If the proposal does not pass, I hope that the Board will rethink the wording for another proposal and seek wide community input for the uses of such a large source of funding. Please Vote.
Vincent R. McGregor Jr. Greensboro