SPLOST Nets Approval; City Incumbents Re-Elected, Plus Lee; Allgood Wins Cave Spring; Rome BOE Without Greer
Close to 50 people gathered at the Floyd County Administration Building in downtown Rome Tuesday night to anxiously await the final results for the proposed SPLOST (special purpose, local option sales tax) referendum plus outcomes for the city commission races.
Polls closed at 7 p.m., and by 9:10 p.m., officials representing the Floyd County Elections and Registration Office announced the calculated unofficial results.
The county referendum to approve a 36-month SPLOST passed with a vote of 3,753 (yes), or 51.15% of the votes; to 3,584 (no), or 48.85% of the votes, for a margin of 169 votes.
The one-cent tax will go into effect when the current SPLOST expires on June 30, 2010 — essentially continuing the current seven-cent sales tax for another 36 months rather than rolling the tax back by one penny.
Rome City Commissioner Duane Reid reads early results of Tuesday's elections. Reid was re-elected to the city commission.
The additional tax revenues are intended to fund the proposed 2009 SPLOST package, with its whopping $42.3 million price tag.
That package will include $26.7 for a new public safety communication system.
Floyd Emergency Management Agency (EMA) Director Scotty Hancock was on hand Tuesday night to learn the fate of the SPLOST and the projects package.
“I’m glad that the citizens voted for it,” Hancock said. “The money for public safety will be put to good use. We will do our best to improve the system to help protect the citizens of Rome and Floyd County.”
In the Rome City Commission race, six candidates vied for three commission seats including incumbents Jamie Doss and Duane Reid, along with challengers Jeff Brown, Sue Hamler Lee, Steven McDowell Jr. and Harold Pledger.
Doss and Reid were elected by city voters, while new-comer Sue Hamler Lee also received a nod to the Rome City Commission.
With 7,856 ballots cast for the city commission race, Doss received the most votes with 1,911; Reid received 1,560 votes; Lee, 1,465 votes; Brown, 1,207 votes; McDowell, 1,079 votes; and Pledger, 624 votes.
After the results were announced, Doss said he was excited and honored by the election results.
“I want to commend all of the candidates for a great campaign,” Doss said. “Some of us were fortunate enough to be elected, but all of the candidates are winners for trying to make our city a better place.”
He added that he wanted to thank all of his supporters for allowing him to continue to serve the city of Rome and its citizens.
Reid concurred with those sentiments and added, “Again, I would like to thank all of those who cast a vote for me and also for the SPLOST.”
After learning of his re-election to the city commission, Rome City Commissioner Jamie Doss receives congratulations Tuesday night from fellow commissioner Evie McNiece.
Likewise, Lee said she was honored be to chosen as a Rome City Commissioner.
“It was a close race that was well done,” Lee said. “I certainly look forward to the next four years doing my best in public service to the city.”
Lee, the daughter of former city manager Bruce Hamler, said of her father, “I think he’s very proud of my election to the city commission, but he may also be surprised.”
She said she felt much gratitude and honor to be able to serve the city of Rome, just as her father had done in the past.
Also in the Rome city elections, Jim Greer failed to oust one of the seven incumbent candidates for a seat on the Rome Board of Education (BOE).
Greer had served on the board in the past and netted 1,603 votes out of 15,514 cast.
The seven elected candidates, all incumbents, to serve on the Rome BOE are Judy Simm with the high count of 2,201 votes; Cheryl Huffman, 2,094 votes; Dave Swann, 2,064 votes; Will Wood, 2,021 votes; Chris Wilson, 1,896 votes; Bruce Jones, 1,849 votes; and Faith Collins with 1,773 votes. There were also 13 write-in votes cast.
In Cave Spring, a single Cave Spring City Council seat was up for grabs, vacated by council member Tony McIntosh, who decided to not seek re-election this year.
Three people sought that council seat — Peggy Allgood, Nick McLemore and Ouida Sams.
According to Cave Spring Council Member Kenneth Kelley on Tuesday night, Peggy Allgood won that race with 83 votes.
Kelley said McLemore received 81 votes, and Sams received 51.
He added said that, although the tallies were very close, Allgood was voted in by the citizens of Cave Spring to serve as a member of the city council.
“She won by two votes,” Kelley said. “We have some pretty close races, but usually not this close.”
He said he looked forward to hearing some of Allgood’s ideals.
Allgood’s mother also served the city of Cave Spring in the past.
Incidentally, Cave Spring — which has a $350,000 water project included in the proposed SPLOST package — passed the referendum for the SPLOST by a vote of 184 (yes) to 133 (no).
The current SPLOST ends June 30, 2010, and the SPLOST approved by area voters on Tuesday will continue the one-cent tax for another 36 months beginning July 1, 2010 — thus continuing the county’s seven-cents sales tax.
