You'd pay more at the register, but less on your property

Macon-Bibb’s state House members look ready to help set up a new one-cent county sales tax vote — but only to roll back property taxes by the amount that the new tax would raise. If that's what happens, the cash-strapped county would have to raise the millage rate to get new cash.

After three years of dipping into budget reserves for county business, the Macon-Bibb County Commission decided in January that they would like to ask voters for a one-cent sales tax, which would raise about $26 million per year. Their idea is to use half for a property tax rollback and half for general county expenses.

It looks like state House lawmakers are ready to help set up such a vote, but in compliance with current state law, which requires all the money be used to roll back property tax rates. Any further, and possibly confusing, adjustments of the millage rate would be left to the county.

State Rep. Allen Peake, R-Macon, is starting things with his House bills 944 and 945, which set up a vote on capping property tax assessment rises at 2 percent a year. If voters approve that, then the county could also ask voters for that new penny in sales tax, too.

Peake likes the idea of a property tax cut, and of leaving other questions to the county commission.

“They have to make that tough decision themselves whether they want, after the millage is decreased for the property tax rollback, to increase it again to meet the obligations of the county,” Peake said.

There's little evident appetite among lawmakers for a statewide policy change to allow the 50-50 spending split the county wants from this so-called "other" local option sales tax, or OLOST. Peake’s bills have two Bibb co-signers, which is typically enough support for quick passage of single-county bills through the House. The bills need state Senate approval, too.

Macon-Bibb Mayor Robert Reichert has acknowledged the county needs to fix its financial house, but in the meantime, he’s pleaded for more revenue.

Reichert said a sales tax increase is the preferred way to raise new revenue because a significant portion of it is paid by people passing through, not by the county's own property owners .

Macon-Bibb will vote on a separate transportation sales tax penny in May. If it and an OLOST pass, the county would have the state's highest sales tax rate, 9 percent.

This story was originally published February 17, 2018 at 2:24 PM with the headline "You'd pay more at the register, but less on your property."