General Assembly paves way for extra penny sales tax, property tax decrease in Macon

Georgia lawmakers passed legislation on the final day of the legislative session that could potentially lower property taxes and raise sales taxes in Macon-Bibb County.

House Bill 575 would allow Macon-Bibb County to implement an “other local option sales tax” (OLOST) — an extra cent for every eligbile dollar spent in the county — to generate enough revenue to lower property taxes. The bill has to be signed by Gov. Brian Kemp and then the sales tax approved by Macon voters.

“Last night was a major step towards a historic moment for Macon-Bibb County, the single largest property tax decrease in our history,” said Mayor Lester Miller at a press conference Thursday. “When fully implemented, Macon-Bibb will have the lowest property taxes in this region.”

The bill passed in the Georgia Senate 29-23 and in the House of Representatives 165-1.

Macon-Bibb County officials have been trying for years to get the penny sales tax approved by the General Assembly, but as Miller said, “The fourth time is the charm.”

During the press conference, Miller thanked many organizations and people for helping get the legislation passed, especially the local delegation, which in previous years had not unanimously supported the tax.

“While we were all tired this morning from late evenings and woke up with a smile on our face. And that’s because of a group, we should all thank. And that is our local delegation,” he said. “They joined our team behind a shared vision of doing what’s best for the people of Macon-Bibb County, they set aside partisan politics, and came together to make our team stronger.”

The bill has to be signed by the governor before coming before the citizens of Macon-Bibb County for a vote. If Macon-Bibb County voters approve the legislation, Miller said the county will collect money for the OLOST for a calendar year, and based off the amount collected, the county will begin rolling back property taxes.

Miller said it could roll back property taxes by an estimate of 7 mils, which would be around a 40% millage rate decrease, and it could give the county the flexibility to implement a second phase of the pay scale for first responders.

“After being signed by the governor and voted on by the citizens of Macon-Bibb County, we’ll have one of the lowest property taxes in this region, making our community more attractive to both employers and employees who would choose to make Macon their home,” he said.