Baldwin County residents quickly began sounding off on Facebook after learning that county commissioners are considering doubling its millage rate.
“Why not just pass another sales tax” was a common theme in the comments.
The county government currently has three different penny-on-thedollar sales taxes. First is the local option sales tax (LOST). Second is the special local option sales tax (SPLOST), and third is the transportation local option sales tax (TSPLOST).
Only the LOST can be used to cover day-to-day expenses and pay down debt, according to state law. SPLOST money can only be spent on “capital outlay projects,” while TSPLOST, as you can imagine, is restricted to transportation-related projects and equipment.
Also, the LOST is capped at 1 percent (or one penny-on-the-dollar), according to state law. Even if county commissioners thought that raising the LOST from 1 percent to 2 percent was a good idea, it wouldn’t be an option.