DeKalb County and Municipal Leadership Announce SPLOST Vote

DECATUR, Ga. – Today, DeKalb CEO Michael Thurmond, members of the DeKalb County Board of Commissioners, and mayors from the 12 cities located within DeKalb County announced early voting had begun on three referendums in advance of general Election Day on Nov. 7.

Voters in unincorporated DeKalb County will vote only on the referendums; city residents will vote on the referendums and their citywide elections.

The ballot questions include:

• A new EHOST (Equalized Homestead Option Sales Tax), which would replace an existing HOST by applying 100 percent of the revenue to reduce property taxes for homeowners.
• A special purpose local option sales tax (SPLOST), which is an additional one-cent sales tax which would raise money to repave more than 318 miles of roads in the county and fund other infrastructure repairs. Each city has a unique list of capital improvements for their respective jurisdictions.
• The continuing freeze on property tax increases for existing homeowners for the six-year period of the SPLOST.

Over the six-year term of the SPLOST sales tax, DeKalb County is expected to receive $388 million, with the 12 cities receiving a portion of $248.7 million based on population.

If the referendums are passed, there will be a one-percent increase in sales taxes. However, the SPLOST will not apply to sales tax on unprepared food and prescription medicine. Also, all homeowners would receive a reduction in their property taxes by the EHOST.

“If approved by the voters, the collaboration of county and city leaders will result in an opportunity to address some of the infrastructure needs we face,” said DeKalb CEO Michael Thurmond.

For DeKalb County, the projects to be funded by SPLOST include:

• Transportation – $240.3 million
• Public safety – $84.7 million
• Parks and recreation repairs – $37.3 million
• General repairs - $20 million

For more information on the DeKalb County SPLOST, go to www.dekalbsplost.com.

For more information about the election, go to www.dekalbvotes.com.

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