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Elected officials agree on DeKalb sales tax increase

Mayors, DeKalb County commissioners and DeKalb CEO Mike Thurmond agreed Wednesday on a special purpose local option sales tax (SPLOST), which would raise sales taxes from 7 percent to 8 percent. Voters will decide on the tax hike in November. From left: Stonecrest Mayor Jason Lary, Thurmond, Tucker Mayor Frank Auman, Commissioner Larry Johnson, Decatur Mayor Patti Garrett, Commissioner Kathie Gannon and Stone Mountain Mayor Patricia Wheeler. Dunwoody Mayor Denis Shortal was also present but not pictured. MARK NIESSE / MARK.NIESSE@AJC.COM
Mayors, DeKalb County commissioners and DeKalb CEO Mike Thurmond agreed Wednesday on a special purpose local option sales tax (SPLOST), which would raise sales taxes from 7 percent to 8 percent. Voters will decide on the tax hike in November. From left: Stonecrest Mayor Jason Lary, Thurmond, Tucker Mayor Frank Auman, Commissioner Larry Johnson, Decatur Mayor Patti Garrett, Commissioner Kathie Gannon and Stone Mountain Mayor Patricia Wheeler. Dunwoody Mayor Denis Shortal was also present but not pictured. MARK NIESSE / MARK.NIESSE@AJC.COM
By Mark Niesse
Sept 7, 2017

Now that city and DeKalb County government leaders reached a deal on a sales tax increase, there's little standing in the way before the issue is put on the ballot in November.

Mayors and DeKalb elected officials agreed Wednesday on a framework for the sales tax, which would fund road resurfacing, fire station repairs, police cars, parks and other infrastructure over the next six years.

The special purpose local option sales tax (SPLOST) would increase the county’s sales tax rate from 7 percent to 8 percent, generating about $100 million annually for local governments.

The DeKalb Board of Commissioners plans to vote on a project list Tuesday and then vote again later this month to hold a referendum on the sales tax hike Nov. 7.

Exclusive to subscribers: Read more about the sales tax deal 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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