SPLOST passed, Moody Barrick elected to Sky Valley Council

Voters in Rabun County voted Tuesday to pass a sales tax ballot that would fund a number of projects within the county.

The majority of Rabun County voters said yes to the proposed SPLOST, or special purpose local option tax, according to the unofficial election summary report provided by the Rabun County Board of Elections.

As of Tuesday, out of the 11,848 registered voters in the county, 2,093 cards were cast, or 17.67 percent of the voter population who weighed in on the special election.

A total of 1,329 voters said yes to SPLOST, while 754 were opposed.

The one-cent additional sales tax would affect everyone in the county for the next six years, bringing in an estimated $20 million for the county to spend on local projects and upgrades.

Proceeds from that tax will fund the following projects: Rabun County Detention Center expansion; sheriff’s office; water and sewer improvements; roads and bridges improvements; courthouse upgrades; along with a number of city projects.

Those city projects include:

• Clayton – City hall maintenance and repair; city roads and streets; water and sewer system improvements; and public safety;
• Dillard – City complex renovation; city roads and streets; and water and sewer improvements;
• Sky Valley – Buildings and equipment; and city roads and streets;
• Tallulah Falls – Public buildings renovations and improvements; city roads and streets; and water and sewer system improvements; and
• Tiger – Parks and recreation; and city roads and streets.

As for the Sky Valley Council seat, Sky Valley residents voted in favor of Moody Barrick who beat out Hollie Steil by a slim margin of 20 votes. 97 voted yes for Barrick, while only 77 voted towards Steil’s favor.