Proposed boost in Bibb County sales tax to 9% would make it the highest in the state

After three years of county budget shortfalls, Bibb County leaders are asking state lawmakers to help them pursue a new sales tax. But there’s hesitation in Atlanta, as the county could be headed to the highest sales tax rate in Georgia.

Macon-Bibb County Mayor Robert Reichert pleaded the county’s case in a little hearing room in the state Capitol basement Monday morning. He told eight Macon-Bibb County lawmakers why the county wants them to set up a public vote on an “OLOST,” a one-penny “other” local option sales tax.

“This is the best of bad options,” Reichert said, adding that no one wants to go up on taxes, but that the county needs this increase.

“We’ve got to make other cuts, we’ve got to manage our money, we’ve got to do better, but we’ve got to have this to get out of this hole. It’s just plain and simple,” he said.

A penny sales tax would raise about $26 million in new county revenue per year. But it’s a tax cut for property owners: half of what the OLOST raises would used to drive down property taxes. Right now, that would mean a cut of about 3.5 mills.

But lawmakers didn’t give Reichert an immediate OK.

There’s another sales tax ask ahead of it in line. In May, county voters will say if they want to raise the sales tax from 7 to 8 percent, mainly for roads and bridges. The OLOST would take it to 9 percent.

“That is the concern,” said state Rep. James Beverly, D-Macon. “How do you stimulate growth in a county that has the highest tax rate?”

A 9 percent sales tax would put Bibb at least a penny above the vast majority of jurisdictions.

It’s a tenth of a penny higher than the city of Atlanta, where an 8.9 percent sales tax pays for things like a backlog of sewer work as well as the city’s share of MARTA.

Republican state Rep. Allen Peake, R-Macon, plans to file bills soon that would set up the vote. The leaders and their lawyers are working on technical details, like the wording of the question on the ballot.

Peake said it is a cut in taxes for property owners, though the 9 percent on sales might make it a hard sell. But he said all lawmakers are doing is setting up a vote.

"If the citizens of Bibb County don’t want to go there, they’ll let us know loud and clear,” he said.

State Sen. David Lucas, D-Macon, said he would vote for OLOST if it gets to the state Senate.

“All you got to do is look at the budget, he said. "How are you going to survive taking money out of your reserves to pay your bills?”

This story was originally published January 29, 2018 at 5:03 PM with the headline "Proposed boost in Bibb County sales tax to 9% would make it the highest in the state."