DeKalb Voters Pass Sales Tax Hike To Fix Roads: Reports

DECATUR, GA — Voters in DeKalb County approved an increase Tuesday in the county's sales tax to fund repairs to DeKalb's deteriorating roads and pay for other capital improvements, such as new fire stations, according to media reports. The special purpose local option sales tax (SPLOST) will raise the current sales tax from 7 percent to 8 percent in April 2018.

Eighty-five percent of the $388 million expected to be generated over the next six years through the SPLOST will go toward transportation projects, with more than $151 million for road resurfacing, according to a county statement. The tax increase also will fund new fire stations and police cars, along with the renovation of parks, libraries, senior centers and health centers.

Twelve cities in DeKalb County would receive $249 million through the SPLOST for various projects, allocated by population, the statement added. Each city has its own project list.

For example, over a six-year period, Brookhaven would receive $47 million and Dunwoody would receive about $42 million, the Reporter Newspapers reported. (SIGN UP: Get Patch's Daily Newsletter and Real Time News Alerts. Or, if you have an iPhone, download the free Patch app.)

“For the first time in DeKalb County’s history, voters have approved a blueprint for success with the passage of the SPLOST,” DeKalb CEO Michael Thurmond said in the county statement. “We take this vote of trust seriously and will continue to work with our city partners on a better future.”

Voters approved the tax increase by an overwhelming margin, with nearly 70 percent, or 43,161, voting in favor and 18,629 voting against, according to the website Decaturish.com.

Unprepared food and medications are exempt from the sales tax increase.

In addition, the voters approved an equalization homestead option sales tax (EHOST) and a measure to freeze home property values for city and county taxes while the EHOST and SPLOST are in place. The EHOST and SPLOST both had to win approval from voters to be enacted, according to the Reporter Newspapers.

More than 71 percent of the voters, or 45,273, voted in favor of EHOST, with the remaining 18,105 voting against, Decaturish.com reported.

With the approval of the SPLOST and EHOST, more than $110 million annually for six years will go toward residential property tax relief.

In other DeKalb County races:

• Voters in Brookhaven re-elected Joe Gebbia to another term on the City Council, according to the Reporter Newspapers. Gebbia, a local business owner, won about 60 percent of the 561 votes cast to defeat Dale Boone, a competitive food eater, for the District 4 seat on the council.
• Kelly Walsh won a seat on the Decatur City Commission, defeating three other candidates, according to results compiled by WXIA-TV 11Alive. Walsh won 48 percent of more than 3,100 votes cast to defeat Tim Martin, Betty Blondeau and Melissa Manrow.

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