There is a widely accepted rule of human behavior that suggests 20 percent of the people do 80 percent of the work. The amazing thing is that SPLOST does not follow the 80-20 Rule. In fact, it is the exact opposite. SPLOST works so well in Dawson County because people from outside our county pay the most into the fund...
There is a widely accepted rule of human behavior that suggests 20 percent of the people do 80 percent of the work. This 80-20 Rule as it is known, forms the foundation for many organizational principles and expectations. Work forces are often hired assuming that only a moderate percentage of those workers will actually do the work. Said another way, eight folks will hang around the water cooler while two people stay in their offices and actually work.
In a few days, Dawson county voters will cast their vote on whether to continue the county SPLOST program. Much has been written about the benefits we all have received from this on-going one-cent tax. Rockcreek Park and our excellent library are clear examples of how these funds work for us. We seldom think of the infrastructural improvements SPLOST has bought, or the quality Emergency Services equipment our county has when we need it most. Dawson County SPLOST funds have worked well for all of our citizens.
The amazing thing is that SPLOST does not follow the 80-20 Rule. In fact, it is the exact opposite. SPLOST works so well in Dawson County because people from outside our county pay the most into the fund. Every visitor that comes to shop at the Premium Outlet Mall adds their pennies to our SPLOST collection. When you look at the crowds that fill the Outlet Mall on weekends and during the holiday season, think about all of the extra pennies that are going toward our SPLOST fund.
It goes beyond the Outlet Mall however. Purchases made at Wal-Mart, Kroger, Ingles and Home Depot are tracked for marketing. It turns out that all of those stores are frequented by many non-county residents that live just across the county line in Forsyth, Hall and Lumpkin Counties. Their customers are also commuters driving through Dawson County daily to Metro-Atlanta.
These non-county purchases, whether at the Outlet Mall or at the Dawsonville Pool Room, work out to just over 80 percent of the total. In other words, those 80 percent of the people are doing the bulk of the work for the county! So, the 20 percent in the county do not have to work so hard for the next park, the next library or an expanded modern courthouse. A full 80 percent of our SPLOST fund comes not from our own wallets, it comes from the wallets of people that shop here and then go elsewhere.
Of course, everyone thinks they are part of the 20 percent of the work force that does the productive work. Everyone thinks they are in the 20 percent of volunteers that really help a cause. In Dawson County, I tend to think we do have more than a mere 20 percent that contribute to the betterment of our community. Still the 80-20 Rule tends to hold up well to scrutiny. In the case of SPLOST, the fact that the other 80 percent are clearly doing the bulk of the work for you is important. It is one of the key reasons SPLOST has worked well in Dawson County, and will continue to work well into the future. That is something we should all keep in mind November 6.
Charlie Auvermann
Executive Director
Development Authority of Dawson County