Lawmakers approve tax hikes, but not much else in DeKalb

PASSED

• Voters can decide in November on raising sales taxes to fund repairs of pothole-ridden streets, police stations and fire stations, according to Senate Bill 143. The measure also provides property tax discounts to homeowners.
• If the sales tax increase passes, its proceeds can only be spent on transportation and public safety projects, according to Senate Bill 156. The special purpose local options sales tax (SPLOST) isn't permitted to fund a government administration building, libraries or parks.
• The cities of Brookhaven, Chamblee, Dunwoody and Tucker may increase tax rates on hotels and motels from 5 percent to 8 percent, according to House Bill 575, House Bill 621, House Bill 564 and House Bill 596.
• The cities of Decatur and Dunwoody will create public facilities authorities, which have the power to buy and sell land, according to Senate Bill 124 and House Bill 435.
• Tax legislation enables a complex financing arrangement for redeveloping the former General Motors site in Doraville, according to House Bill 449 and House Bill 595.

FAILED

• An effort to reboot of the DeKalb Board of Ethics fell short. Senate Bill 273 would have replaced board members with appointees of DeKalb's state legislators.
• Legislators couldn't agree on the composition of a DeKalb Charter Review Commission, letting legislation creating the commission die.  Senate Bill 246 would have started a study of the county's government structure.
• A proposal to put term limits on the mayor of Stonecrest fell short. House Bill 600 also would have reduced the mayor's voting power.
• Several bills would have allowed a referendum on a half-cent sales tax increase to pay for MARTA expansion. None of those measures advanced.
• Legislation to collect payments from recently formed cities for DeKalb's pension system stalled. House Bill 244 would have required an evaluation of pension obligations from the cities of Brookhaven, Dunwoody, Stonecrest and Tucker.