DeKalb sales tax would raise money for infrastructure
A proposed 1 percent sales tax in DeKalb County would raise about $110 million a year for infrastructure projects countywide, potentially including road repaving and new public safety buildings.
About $24 million a year is currently generated for capital under the county's current tax structure, according to a presentation this week by DeKalb's Office of Management and Budget. Roughly $4 million of those funds is spent in unincorporated areas and $20 million is distributed to city governments.
DeKalb voters will decide whether to approve the special purpose local option sales tax (SPLOST) in November's election.
Projects to be funded by the SPLOST are being considered by a citizen advisory committee this spring and will then be voted on by the DeKalb Board of Commissioners.
A separate ballot question in November proposes to increase the amount of existing sales taxes that are dedicated for residential property tax relief.
City residents would gain about $407 per parcel annually, while unincorporated DeKalb residents would gain only about $8 a year because they already receive the tax break.
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.
