My husband and I have been part-time residents of Forsyth County for more than 20 years. Because we own a boat moored at a marina in Forsyth, we not only pay property tax on our boat , we also pay Forsyth County school taxes just like residents who own real estate in the county. We also pay property taxes and school taxes in the county where our primary residence is located. We are senior citizens. Our youngest child graduated 18 years ago.

We have never objected to paying school tax and appreciate the fact that when we had children in school there were residents with no children paying to support the system.

My question has always been, how can the county charge renters of boat slips school tax when renters of apartments are not charged? I suspect few of the thousands of boat owners who are paying school taxes actually have children in Forsyth County schools.  

Now my question is, how can the county have a shortfall for the education system when they have the advantage of charging thousands of us who have no children in the system? Other counties in the metro Atlanta area do not have the benefit of charging thousands of boat owners for schools they will never utilize.

I feel sure the marinas are paying a significant amount of property taxes as well. Is this not a case of double dipping for the county coffers? It would seem that Forsyth County should be one of the best funded school systems in the metro area, if not the state.

Chris Cooper

Gainesville