The City of Atlanta is asking voters in the March 24 election to approve a longstanding one percent sales tax to fund water and sewer projects that are mandated under a federal consent decree.
Early voting in the election has already begun.
The Atlanta City Council approved the referendum in November, which would continue the tax for another four years. The current penny tax would end on Sept. 30.
Department of Watershed officials have said that if the tax is not renewed, the city risks violating the federal consent order, forcing them to pay fines and delay any work to further improve the city’s water system.
They also said the city could be forced to raise water and sewer rates by 25 percent if the tax is not approved. Taxpayers have not seen an increase in water rates since 2012.
The Municipal Optional Sales Tax, or MOST, began in 2004, under former Mayor Shirley Franklin.
Issued in 1999, the consent decree also required Atlanta to eliminate sewage overflows into rivers and streams.
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