Five Georgia counties to decide this fall on transportation tax

August 11, 2022

Keith Goble

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Local ballots in counties throughout Georgia this fall will include questions about whether to authorize or renew taxes that benefit transportation work.

Nov. 8 ballots in counties across the state will ask voters whether to approve a 1% tax that would be used solely for local infrastructure.

Questions in at least five counties would authorize funding from the Transportation Local Option Sales Tax. The state created the tax option six years ago for purposes that include roads, bridges, public transit, and seaports.

According to the Georgia Department of Revenue, 102 of the state’s 159 counties have enacted the transportation sales tax.

One year ago, voters in four Georgia counties voted to approve or renew the 1% tax.

Below is a rundown of counties that will have transportation funding questions on their fall ballot.

Chatham County

Voters in Chatham County will soon decide whether to implement the penny sales tax for transportation-based projects.

The east Georgia county now collects a 7% sales tax. The county consists of eight municipalities including the city of Savannah

The tax is estimated to raise $143 million for the city of Savannah. The biggest portion, $42 million, would be applied for easing roadway congestion in the state’s fifth most populous city.

Another $20 million would be allocated for local roadway resurfacing and maintenance projects. Projects focused on traffic calming improvement and expansion would get $7.5 million, and a bridge repair program would receive $3 million.

Countywide, the 1% tax is estimated to raise $420 million over five years.

Forsyth County

The ballot in Forsyth County will include a referendum to cover improvements to local infrastructure.

The five-year, 1% tax is estimated to raise $250 million. Money would be distributed among the county and the city of Cumming under a predetermined formula to address approved project lists.

The Atlanta-area county now collects a 7% sales tax.

Most of the new tax revenue – 69% – would stay with the county. Most of the money, $173.2 million, would be used for capital projects to address congestion and “critical” new roadway connection. Another $20 million would be applied for intersection safety improvements. Additionally, $4.6 million would be used for roadway resurfacing and improvements.

Habersham County

Citizens in Habersham County will vote whether to implement the 1% tax for local infrastructure. The county now collects a 7% sales tax.

In 2018, voters rejected the proposed tax by a 54-46% margin. Hopeful there is enough support for passage this time around, county commissioners recently voted to add a question to the upcoming fall ballot to impose the penny tax.

The tax is estimated to generate $44 million over five years. The bulk of the revenue – $33.4 million – would go to the northeast Georgia county.

About $10 million would be allocated for existing bridges repair and replacement in the county. Another $3.4 million would be used for roadway projects. Additionally, $800,000 would be earmarked for safety improvements, re-striping, guardrails, and signs.

The remainder would go to the county’s five cities.

Morgan County

Voters in Morgan County will decide whether to renew the tax to cover improvements to local infrastructure.

The county located south of Athens has collected the 1% transportation tax since 2019. The current tax will expire when $18 million in revenue is raised. To date, the county has collected $14.5 million.

Once the threshold is reached, voter approval would permit the tax to be extended.

The tax renewal is estimated to raise $25 million over five years.

Oconee County

Ballots in Oconee County will again include a question to add 1% to the existing 7% sales tax for transportation work.

In 2021, voters in the county that borders the city of Athens rejected the tax.

The new revenue would raise about $71 million over five years.

About two-thirds of that amount would go toward county roads. The cities of Bishop, North High Shoals and Watkinsville would divvy the rest. LL

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