Dahlonega urges county to honor deal on sales tax
Council strongly supports the current agreement critical to property tax relief, services
Taylor reminds the County of the City’s aid in the County’s time of financial need
The Dahlonega City Council today passed a resolution calling on the Lumpkin County Commission to join the city in renewing the Local Option Sales Tax, which provides property tax relief to homeowners and businesses by sharing the tax burden with tourists and shoppers from outside the county. During the summer, Lumpkin County delivered a proposal that would keep the current revenue distribution, which has remained unchanged for 34 years, with 75 percent going to Lumpkin County and 25 percent going to Dahlonega.
“The Local Option Sales Tax revenues are crucial to delivering the services that the people of our county and city depend on, from public safety to water to parks and recreation, while keeping property taxes low for residents and job creators,” said Dahlonega Mayor Taylor after hearing the news while out of town. “The county signed, sealed and delivered its offer in July, we gave our new council members time to consider it and then we agreed – even sending the completed documents to the state. This agreement keeps the status quo – a system that benefits all the residents of Lumpkin County, whether in Dahlonega or unincorporated areas.
“Let’s come together as our voters expect us to do for the common good.”
Cities and counties throughout Georgia have until Dec. 30 to reach agreement on renewing their LOST or the tax expires – resulting in higher property taxes or cuts to services, such as police. The once-a-decade negotiations occur after each census to accommodate changes in population or service agreements between cities and counties.
“When Dahlonega received the county’s offer, we wanted to study all of the areas covered in the state law, such as population, daytime population, location of where sales taxes are collected and which government service are eligible for LOST funds,” Taylor said. “We considered using mediation but ultimately accepted the county’s offer instead. County officials now insist the mere mention of mediation constituted a rejection of their offer. That’s not the case. We feel like we have a deal, and our resolution asks the county to honor this mutually agreed upon decision – one that provides the county with three times as much tax revenue as received by the city. Letting LOST expire would cause chaos and uncertainty, and our job is to provide stability, a high quality of life and a strong business climate.”
Taylor also noted: “Dahlonega has been there for the County to help in the past. For example, the City in order to assist in the financial recovery of the County twenty years ago gave up its participation in the 2002 SPLOST. By doing so the County was able to use the full fifteen million dollars generated by the SPLOST to pursue its financial recovery. We are calling on the County not to return the favor but just to confirm the status quo on LOST that has been in existence for decades. My hope is that the County considers this matter settled amicably. ”
Original source can be found here.
Alerts Sign-up