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7/28/2010
"Jobs! Jobs! Jobs!": Lt. Governor summarizes focus of new tax reform panel |
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According to Georgia Lt. Governor Casey Cagle, the overarching theme of the Special Council on Tax Reform and Fairness for Georgians will be 'Jobs! Jobs! Jobs!'. Cagle spoke at the Council's inaugural meeting on July 28 when it kicked off its five month effort to reform Georgia's tax code. The Council was created earlier this year with the legislature's passage of HB 1405.
More than 200 stake holders attended the meeting held in Atlanta.
Bank consultant A. D. Frazier, appointed to the Council by House Speaker David Ralston, was elected by Council members to chair the eleven person panel which is charged with producing a tax reform proposal to be voted on early in the 2011 session of the Georgia General Assembly. Frazier brings to the table a reputation for successfully tackling big challenges, having served from 1991-1996 as Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games.
Those attending heard comments by Speaker Ralston, Governor Sonny Perdue - himself a Council member - and House Ways & Means Chairman Larry O'Neal. Rep. O'Neal, in his opening comments, cited 119 specific exemptions from the state sales tax and noted that one role of the Council will be "to insure that our citizens are getting the benefits of the tax exemptions that were initially intended". The tax code, he noted, must be examined in its entirety, including for compliance and enforcement.
"Tax cheats cheat all Georgians," O'Neal said.
The tax reform panel will hold public meetings around the state as a part of its work plan. Planned meeting times and locations will be posted on the Council's website. The Council also plans to schedule one-on-one meetings between Tax Reform Council members and key stake holders in August. According to Council chairman Frazier, transparency and openness will characterize the Council.
The activity and progress of the Council can be followed at this link.
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