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DeKalb sales tax increase put on November ballot

The DeKalb County Board of Commissioners voted Tuesday to put a sales tax increase on November's ballot. From left: Commissioners Nancy Jester, Larry Johnson, Kathie Gannon, Steve Bradshaw, Mereda Davis Johnson and Greg Adams. HYOSUB SHIN / Hyosub.Shin@ajc.com
The DeKalb County Board of Commissioners voted Tuesday to put a sales tax increase on November's ballot. From left: Commissioners Nancy Jester, Larry Johnson, Kathie Gannon, Steve Bradshaw, Mereda Davis Johnson and Greg Adams. HYOSUB SHIN / Hyosub.Shin@ajc.com
By
Sept 26, 2017

The DeKalb County Board of Commissions is putting a proposal to increase sales taxes on November's ballot.

The board voted 5-1 on Tuesday to hold a Nov. 7 referendum on the sales tax increase, from 7 percent to 8 percent.

The special purpose local option sales tax (SPLOST) would raise about $100 million annually over the next six years for long overdue road repaving, fire station repairs and other backlogged infrastructure construction.

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about DeKalb's sales tax vote

In addition, voters will also be asked to decide in November on a proposal to decrease homeowners’ property taxes.

If approved, the existing homestead option sales tax (HOST) would be used entirely to reduce county property tax bills. Currently, 80 percent of HOST goes toward property tax relief, and 20 percent is sent to local governments.

RELATED: View the proposed DeKalb SPLOST project list

Exclusive to subscribers: Read the full story on myAJC.com.

About the Author

Mark Niesse is an enterprise reporter and covers elections and Georgia government for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and is considered an expert on elections and voting. Before joining the AJC, he worked for The Associated Press in Atlanta, Honolulu and Montgomery, Alabama. He also reported for The Daily Report and The Santiago Times in Chile.

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