At issue, 2006 October

Volume 1, Number 4

State of Georgia

October 2006

Tax reform: What's next?
By: Brian S. Johnson, Deputy Director

D eath. Taxes. Atlanta Traffic. Indeed these are the certainties of life in metropolitan Atlanta. Death is inevitable; congestion on Atlanta's highways is as certain as a ladder in the middle lane of

I-285; however, taxes are worthy of debate because Georgia's financial

purse, how much is in it and how it gets spent, is a direct result of the

General Assembly's actions.

"The only things

In 2006, Americans worked a total of 116 days (77 for federal and 39 for state) to

of certainty are

satisfy their tax obligations. According to the Tax Foundation, Georgia reached its

Death and

"Tax Freedom" day on April 22, making it the 25th state to do so. Georgia ranks 27th

Taxes."

in the burden placed on individuals in satisfying income tax liability. South Dakota taxpayers enjoy the lowest burden, and

-- Yw|z Yt{x New York taxpayers possess the highest

Ux}t| Yt~|

burden. Additionally, the same Foundation ranks Georgia 19th according to its

business tax environment; Wyoming

ranks 1st on the list while New York, again, ranks as the least business-

friendly state. (Georgia's individual income, property, and unemploy-

ment insurance taxes are considered disadvantages under the rankings).

Georgia took in $5.7 billion in general sales and sales tax revenue in FY2006; this sum is about 34 percent of total state revenue and 20 percent of local government's revenue. Increased consumer activity that results in just a 5 percent increase in the collection of state sales tax revenues equals about $935 million.

Where are the taxes utilized? Georgia tax revenues fund schools, state universities, highways, public safety, public health, business and professional licensing, court functions, wildlife management, and the state retirement system; moreover, over 75 percent of the state's annual budget is appropriated to education, healthcare, and criminal justice. These areas are growing faster in actual cost and population served than overall
(Continued on Page 2)

At-A-Glance
Transportation
By: Jeff Breedlove, Policy Analyst
A ccording to the 2000 United States Census, Georgia is the ninth most populous state with estimates showing that we have about 9 million citizens. At the end of October of this year, there were almost 8 million registered vehicles traveling on our 100,000 miles of paved roads and 29,000 miles of dirt roads. We have the world's busiest airport and the third largest concentration of Fortune 500 companies in the nation in our metro Atlanta area.
Why are these facts so important and more interestingly, how do they relate? They are important because they illustrate Georgia's presence on the national and international scene; and they relate because the decisions we make regarding transportation issues will have long-term effects on the health and wealth of Georgia's economy and on each of us individually.
Lawmakers in every state are grappling with infrastructure investment decisions. Across the nation, transportation needs are
(Continued on Page 3)

Page One

At Issue

Senate Research Office

Tax reform (Continued from Page 1)

inflation and population growth. budget cuts which would be re- revenue. At the corporate level,

Since 1990, the state's Medicaid quired to balance the budget.

Georgia heavily relies on the taxa-

population has grown 126 percent while the state's prison population

Georgia finds its sources of revenue from taxing estates, selective sales

tion of business to business transactions. This revenue increases the cost of

has grown 153 percent; this is sig-

(motor fuel, tobacco, liquor, beer, and

doing business in the state, which is

nificant consider- wine), general sales, individual and corpo- passed onto consum-

ing the state's overall population

rate incomes, motor vehicles, property,

ers thereby masking the true tax burden

growth was only motor carriers, and from a variety of mis- for each Georgian.

39 percent.

cellaneous fees and licenses.

Georgia offers a vast

Reserved funds are

array of state tax

dedicated sums that are required to Funding at 10 percent is arguably exemptions; in Fiscal Year 2004,

be filled before a surplus is consid- necessary for the state to meet its they equaled $9.8 billion. During

ered unreserved; some of these in- current obligations during a reve- the last two Legislative Sessions,

clude transportation, lottery, to- nue shortfall, or to fund state op- Georgia added 14 new state ex-

bacco, and Medicaid funds. It was erations for about 45 days.

emptions. Had there been no ex-

Georgia's unreserved surplus that

isting exemptions over this same

steadied the budget during the re- Some states, such as Colorado, Ar- period of time, Georgia would have

cession following the September kansas, Kansas, and Montana have taken in nearly $15 billion at the 4

11th attacks. Georgia requires that no "rainy day" funds because they percent state sales tax rate.

the revenue shortfall reserve be are not required under their state

funded equal to 4 percent of the net constitutions. In Fiscal Year 2007, The first tax and expenditure limi-

revenue from the previous year; the Georgia will need $400 million to tation (TEL) was enacted in Cali-

national average is only 3.8 per- meet its basic reserve obligations. fornia after a property tax revolt

cent. Some have advocated main-

that resulted in passage of Proposi-

Georgia levies its income tax in six tion 13 in the 1970s. Recent years

tax brackets ranging from 1 to 6 have brought renewed interest in

"The hardest

percent. The top rate of 6 percent debating TELs. These budget is levied against annual income mechanisms are intended to re-

thing in the world

over $7000. This amount has not strain the growth of budgets

been changed since the 1930s;

whether the concern is based on

to understand is

therefore, generally all full-time too much revenue or excess spendGeorgia workers will have their ing. According to the National

the income tax."

state income tax liability at the top Conference of State Legislatures rate. Last year, the individual in- (NCSL), several constitutional

Tux X|x|

come tax netted about $8 billion amendments to control spending, while the corporate income tax TABOR (Taxpayer Bill of Rights), netted about $700 million. Geor- SOS (Stop Overspending) and

gia relies more heavily on income TASC (Tax and Spending Control)

tax revenue than all its contiguous are on the ballot this year in

taining the "rainy day" fund at its cap of 10 percent to ensure that the state could weather another recession without relying upon the deep

neighbors; in the South, Virginia is the highest. Currently, income tax on individuals and corporations equals about 50 percent of total

Maine, Montana, Nebraska, and Oregon. Judicial decisions have suspended proposed ballot meas-
(Continued on Page 4)

Page Two

At Issue

Senate Research Office

At-A-Glance: Transportation (Continued from Page 1)

growing. Vehicle miles traveled Plan (SWTP) in November 2004, ments, as done with HOV lanes, to

(VMT) have grown by more than with a consultant team lead by obtain a return on their invest-

35 percent since 1990; and in

Cambridge Systematics, Inc. The ment. The state would own and

Georgia alone, the Governor's Of- previous SWTP was adopted by manage the roadways; however,

fice of Highway Safety reported the State Transportation Board in the up-front dollars would come

over 112 million VMT in 2004. December 2001 with a "horizon from the private industry.

Freight shipments through the year" of 2025. In order to meet the

United States are expected to dou- federal requirement to actively The PPI proposals under consid-

ble in volume by 2020, and truck maintain at least a 20-year window eration include the I-75/I-575 cor-

travel connected to international into the future, the current SWTP ridor on Atlanta's northwest side, trade should double by 2015. The has a "horizon year" of 2035. It was and the Georgia 400 corridor. Incidemand for public transportation adopted and approved by the State dentally, the STB has adopted a

services has increased by 23 per- Transportation Board (STB) in policy that no existing lanes can be

cent since 1995 and is at its highest January.

tolled.

point since World War II. Since 1993, urban traffic has increased 45 percent, while rural highway traffic has increased 23 percent. Traffic congestion on the nation's highways is now estimated to cost Americans nearly $65 billion each year in wasted time and fuel. In addition, in the aftermath of the events of September 11, 2001, Hurricane Katrina, and other natural disasters, many states are confronted with billions of dollars of new and unexpected costs for security and the replacement of damaged transportation infrastructure.

The SWTP assesses the current and future performance of all major transportation modes in the state highways, transit, air, water, bicycle, and pedestrian. It also examines the linkages between such modes. The project developed new statewide economic and transportation demand forecasts for the year 2035. Incorporating all existing regional and modal plans, the SWTP defines financially constrained and unconstrained statewide transportation programs, estimates the cost of these programs,

Fast Forward Program. The Governor's Fast Forward Congestion Relief Program was introduced to address Georgia's growing congestion problems. It is a six-year, $15.5 billion transportation program that will relieve congestion and spur economic growth through the acceleration of existing projects. It calls for the sale of bonds to add to regular program dollars, and will allow the state to complete some projects in a sixyear span rather than 18 years.
Governor's Road Improvement

and forecasts available and poten- Program (GRIP). The goal for

When you consider Georgia's geo- tial funding. Updating the SWTP GRIP is to have 95 percent of

graphic location (we are within provides GDOT with the technical every Georgia community with

two travel days of 80 percent of the and programmatic guidance

more than 2,500 people within 20

continental U.S.), it becomes evi- needed to meet the transportation miles of a four-lane highway. It is

dent that our transportation issues demands of the 21st Century.

an expensive initiative, about

and related decisions are extremely

$3.667 billion when complete.

important. Our prosperity as a state and individually is directly affected.
The Statewide

Initiatives
Public Private Partnerships. One of the more promising funding alternatives currently being examined by the STB is the Public-

GRIP is a long-term program that is currently about 58 percent complete.
Governor's Paving the Way Home Initiative. This program provides

Transportation Plan
The Georgia Department of Transportation's (GDOT) Office of Planning began its update of the GDOT Statewide Transportation

Private Initiative (PPI). PPIs involve private companies contracting with the state, through GDOT, to build specified improvements to our transportation infrastructure and then tolling those improve-

$234 million to be spent over the next two years in local communiities to help with projects funded through the Local Assistance Road Program and state aid.
(Continued on Page 6)

Page Three

At Issue

Senate Research Office

Tax reform (Continued from Page 2)

ures in Missouri, Nevada, and

to personal income or a growth constitutional amendment origi-

Oklahoma for this year. In Wash- index. In many states, the limit is nally passed in the 1990s. The

ington, voters will be asked to re- tied to a growth index related to Colorado law limited the state's

peal the estate tax (which is dedi- the expansion of the economy.

revenue by limiting the amount

cated wholly to education).

Somewhat more restrictive are ex- that the legislature could budget.

penditure limits with refund provi- The cap could increase year to year

Over 30 states utilize some form of sions if revenues exceed the au- pursuant to a formula based upon a

a TEL. Several states, such as

thorized spending level.

percentage of population growth

Maine, have statutory spending or

plus inflation, income, or both.

tax limiting mechanisms. Other Revenue limits tie an allowable, Colorado would not be authorized

states, such as Colorado, have

predetermined annual increase in to spend more than the formulated

TELs embedded in their state con- revenue to personal income or

amount allowed, and if revenues

stitutions. Of the states, four have some other type of index such as fall below the formulated amount,

limits that apply to revenue, four inflation or population, and the then actual revenues logically

have limits that apply to spending, limit provides for the refund of any serve as the cap. This is known as

excess revenues to taxpayers. Mis- the "rachet down effect." Some tax

jx vxw

souri provides applicable refunds to experts have argued it is better to taxpayers who file a state income utilize a three-year average of reve-

{t y t t| t tax return.

nue collections as the base rather

|xy | x| | |~x t t tw|z | t uv~x tw |z |y {|xy u {x

than the low point in the previous Appropriation limits simply tie year. appropriations to the revenue fore-

cast, typically allowing from 95 percent to 99 percent of expected

"Government's view

{twxA

revenues to be appropriated. These
limits generally do not establish an of the economy

j| V{v{|

absolute limit or tie growth to a

measurable index. Delaware, Iowa, Mississippi, Oklahoma and Rhode

could be summed up

Island have this type of appropriation limit in operation.

in a few short

phrases: If it moves, and two have limits applying to
both. Seventeen states have limits Some states also have hybrid comtied to growth in personal income, ponents of various limits. Oregon

tax it. If it keeps and four states have limits tied to has a state spending limit tied to
change in population plus inflation. personal income growth, and a

No two TELs are exactly alike in

provision requiring refunds if revenues are more than 2 percent above

moving,

regulate

it.

their structure, for each state gov- the revenue forecast. This law lim-

And if it stops erns and appropriates differently. its spending and, in a sense, limits
The NCSL identifies four catego- revenues by tying them to the fore-

moving, subsidize it." ries of TELs in the United States: casted amount. Colorado is another
expenditure limits, revenue limits, hybrid state.

appropriation limits, and hybrids.
Most states with a TEL operate under an expenditure limit. Expenditure limits are generally tied

Colorado commonly is viewed as cx|wx etw extzt
having the most restrictive set of

fiscal limits; however, voters in

2005 chose to suspend the TABOR

(Continued on Page 5)

Page Four

At Issue

Senate Research Office

Tax reform (Continued from Page 4)

Additionally, a voter approval re- majority requirements depends remain historically low, programs

quirement is the most restrictive upon the makeup of the legislature such as teacher salary increases,

type of TEL since all tax increases and the state's tax system. In states tougher crime penalties, and prop-

must receive voter approval. Only with one predominant party, the erty tax relief have propelled the

three states have adopted voter ap- majority party may have enough growth of Georgia's budget.

proval requirements. Currently, Colorado requires voter approval for all tax increases.

"The wisest and best reform to follow in taxation and all other economic legislation is to not destroy those who already secured success but

votes to

increase The Georgia Public Policy Foun-

or block dation asserts that the Georgia

tax in- General Assembly must adhere to

creases. some basic economics: Fiscal re-

Some of form should not emanate from

these

those with the most powerful lob-

states pro- byists; it should be based upon eco-

vide for nomically sound principles.

Missouri to create conditions under

and Washington re-

which every American will

quire voter approval for

have a better chance to be

tax in-

successful."

creases over

a certain

emergency sus- Georgia should uphold the principension of ples of minimizing the tax burden the super- on taxpayers by limiting exempmajority tions to ensure a broad-based tax require- and lower rates, and avoid picking ment to be winners and losers under Georgia called by tax's policy. SRO

amount. --President Calvin Coolidge
Some states

the governor; how-

Information discussed herein has been provided in part by the Fiscal Research Center at

ever, a

the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies,

require a supermajority in the leg- fiscal crisis cannot be the cause for GBPI, Georgia Department of Revenue,

islature to enact a tax increase; 16 the emergency.

GPPF, NCSL, Senate Budget & Evaluation

states now use this supermajority

Office, and the Tax Foundation.

requirement. Supermajority re- The Georgia Budget and Policy

quirements dictate either three- Institute argues that Georgia does

fifths, two-thirds, or three-fourths not have a problem with spending majority vote in both chambers to despite the fact its budget has pass tax increases or impose new grown at a faster rate than its

At Issue

taxes. The effectiveness of super- population. Although tax burdens At Issue is published monthly

T he Senate currently is studying various aspects of tax reform. The Limited Taxation Study Committee, chaired by Sen. Mitch Seabaugh of the 28th, is considering whether a TEL would benefit the taxpayers of Georgia.

during the interim. For more information on this publication contact the Senate Research Office in Suite 204 of the Coverdell Legislative Office Building or by calling

The Senate Comprehensive Tax Reform Study Committee is meeting in conjunction with its House counterpart to receive a wide array of testimony regarding the state's current tax policies.

404.656.0015.
Jill Fike, Director
Brian Johnson, Deputy Director

Page Five

At Issue

Senate Research Office

At-A-Glance: Transportation (Continued from Page 3)

tion date for the first of three

The Banks-Franklin-Jackson

Major Projects
I-85/Georgia 316 Intersection. On February 20, GDOT broke ground for a $147 million expansion of the I-85 and Georgia

phases in this project is late summer 2007.
C.H. James Parkway/SR 6 Construction Project. This is a rehabilitation project in Douglas

Counties Transportation Study identified existing and future operating conditions for the transportation systems within each of these counties.

316 intersection certainly a ma- County along SR 6 stretching from The Bibb-Jones Cross County

jor project that will greatly im- Bankhead Highway (SR 8) to

Connector Study addresses the

prove traffic flow in the northeast Dallas Road Bridge, just north of need and purpose as well as the

quadrant of metro Atlanta. Com- Hill Road.

preferred planning corridor for a

pletion date: December, 2008.

GA 400 Widening. This $47.6 connector between I-75 north of

I-85/West Point Interchange million project began in December Macon and US 80 east of Macon.

Project. In 2006, Kia Motors se- 2005 and will impact nearly 10 The Chickamauga and Chatta-

lected West Point as the location miles of roadway along the corri- nooga National Military park

for its first United States manufac- dor between Holcomb Bridge Road Transportation Study is spon-

turing plant. The Georgia Depart- and McFarland Road on the

sored by the National Park Service,

ment of Economic Development is northbound and southbound lanes using funds provided by the Fed-

in the process of purchasing a

by widening the roadways up to eral Highway Administration to

2,200acre site along the west side four lanes in designated places. investigate changes in traffic pat-

of I-85 that will house the plant This project is part of the Gover- terns in and around the Chicka-

and community training center. nor's Fast Forward initiative.

mauga Battlefield Park resulting

The site is located just north of State Route (SR) 18 and extends up to Gabbettville Road in Troup County.

US 411 Connector Project. This Bartow County project will provide a direct connection between US 411, at its interchange

from the completion of the US 27 relocation in Walker County.
The Habersham, Rabun, Stephens, and White Counties

Jones Bridge Road Recon- with US 41 west of Cartersville Transportation Study looked at

struction and Rehabilitation

and I-75. It will relieve congestion all modes of transportation in the

Project. This project is a large in- along the existing US 411 to I-75 area, evaluating the current trans-

tersection improvement at Jones corridor. Anticipated completion portation deficiencies and identify-

Bridge/Abbotts Bridge and

date is the winter of 2011 or spring ing future transportation needs.

Kimball Bridge (SR 120) Roads. It will lower the Jones Bridge Road intersection by eight feet to improve sightline distances for motorists, and will also include lengthening turn lanes.

of 2012.
Transportation Studies

The Multi-County Study involves development of long-range transportation plans that will address rapid growth and air quality concerns in suburban metro Atlanta area counties. The six coun-

Peachtree Road (Buckhead) Construction Project. As part of the Governor's Fast Forward Program, this project is designed to move traffic more efficiently and enhance pedestrian safety between Shadowlawn and Roxboro Roads

The Eisenhower Parkway

ties under study were Barrow, Car-

Extension is a proposed improve- roll, Dawson, Hall, Spalding, and

ment designed to enhance system Walton. SRO

connectivity and reduce congestion Portions of the information discussed in this

on routes between south and east Bibb County.

article were provided by the Georgia Department of Transportation, the Georgia Department of Economic Development and Tourism,

on SR 141. It is the result of col- The Appalachian Corridor

the Georgia Department of Revenue, the Gov-

laboration between the GDOT, the Study will explore east-west mo- ernor's Office of Highway Safety, the Na-

Buckhead CID, and the Buckhead bility across north Georgia.

tional Conference of State Legislatures, and the Atlanta Regional Commission.

Coalition. The scheduled comple-

Page Six

At Issue

Senate Research Office