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Ronald Reagan once said “there are simple answers, they are just not easy answers.”   
 
Have you ever wondered why in troubled economic times some counties don’t suffer as much as others. We have a wonderful county with great people that want to see their children and grandchildren find jobs and have a good quality of life. 
 
My signs say: More jobs, lower property taxes, more restaurants. Some ask how? We must recognize the financial impact business and industrial growth have, and that we could literally cut our property tax in half by attracting, rather than repelling, business. Business can carry the majority of the tax load. Examples: Georgia Power and Effingham County Power pay approximately $6 million per year in local option tax and approximately $5 million in real property tax. Lowes pays approximately $100,000 in property tax and approximately $500,000 in local option taxes, and Walmart is more. EFACEC is projected to have a $40 million net value to our county over a 20-year period. 
 
Our county tax burden has been on the residential community for too long. I just had a church, doctor and store owner tell me how difficult it was to build here. We have borrowed the playbook from the federal government and have grown our local government requirements and fees. We have some of the highest fees in the state (2009 national impact fee survey). 
 
Locally, we require building to a higher wind code than is necessary (same as Tybee Island.) This is one example of when someone prices building here, they opt elsewhere. The state has a tier system offering benefits to companies for coming to an area. Effingham County is in the lowest position on that tier. I will work to change that. We must work together. We have a reputation of being difficult. The county has had pending lawsuits with the cities, IDA, developers and “We the taxpayers” a group that represents property owners in Effingham. The county has been fighting with the cities over service delivery areas for a decade. This is prohibiting our county from thriving. We needed water and sewer, but not in every direction at once. We should have strategically run a couple of main lines where we wanted industry and growth, and then expanded as did the revenue. The company that provided the impact fee study stated on its Web site “the electorate may think that impact fees will pay for all new capital facilities, therefore negating the need for higher taxes. They will not negate the need for higher taxes, due to operating costs.” This is not what we were told.
 
I’ve studied our comprehensive plan, DOT study, impact fee study and examples of what other counties have done to decrease cost and attract business. I am ready to help be part of a team that builds a community with jobs and a high quality of life that can sustain our families for generations to come. Just like one strand in a rope, alone we are weak, but working together we can be strong.

In Effingham County, Progress Starts With a Plan
Guest Editorial by Susan Kraut, President/CEO of Effingham County Chamber of Commerce
Susan Kraut column
A sold-out crowd of more than 150 business and community leaders gathered at Effingham’s New Ebenezer Retreat Center Sept. 24 for the Chamber of Commerce’s annual State of the County Luncheon, hearing updates on economic growth, education, and infrastructure across Effingham County. (Submitted photo)

At last Wednesday’s sold-out State of the County luncheon, more than 150 business and community leaders heard a message that resonated throughout the program: We have a plan, and we’re sticking to it.

Effingham County City Manager Tim Callanan opened his remarks with that thought. It was simple, but powerful. In an era when news feeds churn with controversy and change, it served as a reminder that behind the scenes, steady planning is happening – and those plans are beginning to bear fruit.

Businesses and residents often express frustration about roads, zoning, parks, schools or economic development, feeling that growth is outpacing action. The truth, as Callanan underscored, is that many of those actions are already underway, rooted in master plans that cover everything from transportation and stormwater to parks, communications and public safety.

The challenge is that plans only matter if people know they exist. Too often, businesses and citizens forget these plans are in place, don’t know where to find them or don’t realize how to weigh in at the right moments. When that happens, the community loses the chance to shape its own future and to express the value of those plans – why they matter and why they’re worth supporting.

Planning delivers progress

Last week’s luncheon highlighted how “plans” translate into progress. Mayor Kevin Exley shared Rincon’s ranking as one of Georgia’s safest cities and the city’s launch of the Citizen Central app – a small but meaningful step toward accessible local government. Springfield’s new city manager, Lauren Eargle, outlined a capital improvement plan that includes sidewalks, drainage and playgrounds, along with the less glamorous but vital work of a $35 million wastewater plant upgrade. Guyton’s city manager, Bill Lindsey, discussed contracting with planning consultants, winning grants for sidewalks, and reinvesting in Bazemore Park and downtown revitalization. These aren’t random acts; they’re evidence of intentional planning.

The school district provided another example when Superintendent Yancy Ford noted that Effingham now serves nearly 14,500 students speaking 33 languages. That diversity is an asset – but it also requires careful, proactive investment to maintain the high standards families expect. His most powerful point concerned ESPLOST, the 1-cent Education Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax. Thanks to community support over the years, ESPLOST has built classrooms, purchased buses, enhanced safety measures, provided Chromebooks to all students, added security cameras and access-control systems, created inclusive playgrounds and athletic facilities open to the community, supported hands-on learning spaces like Honey Ridge, and established the College & Career Academy – a facility credited by Ford as helping lift the district’s graduation rate above 90% and expanding career pathways for a rapidly diversifying student body. And it has done so without incurring long-term debt.

Why ESPLOST matters

Among these examples of planning, none is clearer than ESPLOST — a long-term, voter-approved blueprint for funding education, renewed every five years to stay ahead of growth. The November ballot will again include the ESPLOST renewal, giving voters the opportunity to continue this proven approach to funding school facilities, technology, safety, transportation, inclusive playgrounds and community-accessible athletic fields. Renewing ESPLOST does not create a new tax; it simply extends the existing 1-cent sales tax, allowing residents, visitors and businesses to contribute to improvements that benefit every student. Without it, many of the projects parents and community members count on – such as new buses, safer schools, modern classrooms, career pathways and accessible playgrounds – would stall or require long-term debt.

Renewing ESPLOST is about more than bricks and mortar. It is not a reactionary measure but part of an intentional, ongoing plan to manage growth and maintain education – reinforcing the theme that plans become progress. As the district’s population becomes increasingly diverse and enrollment continues to rise, sustained ESPLOST funding is crucial to scaling programs, expanding facilities and maintaining the high graduation rates and opportunities that families expect. It is about protecting Effingham County’s tradition of educational excellence, maintaining property values and ensuring the workforce being prepared in our schools is ready to meet the needs of local employers. It is an investment in students, families and the future of our communities.

A call to the community

Effingham County is growing. Growth brings challenges, but it also brings opportunities. As the luncheon demonstrated, leaders at every level are working to guide that growth thoughtfully. The next step belongs to business owners, parents and neighbors – to lean in, stay informed and participate.

When hearing about a master plan, a referendum or a public meeting, don’t assume it is someone else’s job. Look up the plan, attend the forum, ask questions and cast a vote. That is how plans become progress – and how a yes vote on ESPLOST reaffirms and continues the community’s long-term plan for educational excellence, reinvesting in Effingham County’s future.