Laurens County voters asked to approve new sales tax in November

Laurens County voters will decide in November whether they want a new local sales tax to be used to offset property taxes.

The County Commission voted Tuesday to call for a referendum on a floating local option sales tax, or FLOST, for property tax relief. Its decision came after the county’s municipalities all approved an intergovernmental agreement on how to split the sales tax proceeds.

The new tax is projected to generate about $13.5 million annually countywide. By law, 100 percent of FLOST proceeds must be used to offset property taxes paid by homeowners, businesses and industries.

“The 1 percent tax will directly off property taxes, an across-the board reduction of your property taxes,” said Commissioner Gerad Mathis. 

Officials believe taxes paid by visitors, commuters and shoppers will significantly reduce the burden on residential and commercial property owners.

“I love for people to shop here and help us pay our property taxes,” Mathis said.

If the referendum passes in November, it likely will not realize its full benefit for a year or two, County Administrator Bryan Rogers said. 

The tax could be implemented in January and then collected for the final six months of fiscal year 2027, which ends in July.  Once the tax can be collected for a next complete fiscal year, property owners will see its true impact, Rogers said.

The intergovernmental agreement spells out how the money will be divided. The tax can run for no longer than five years, unless it’s renewed. It is expected to generate about $67.5 million over that five-year span.

The sales tax revenue cannot be used for relief from school taxes, and would not be applied toward Dublin City or Laurens County school tax bills.

Laurens County will receive the largest share of the revenue, at 61.9 percent, to apply toward offsetting the property tax it levies. The city of Dublin will receive 34.6 percent, followed by East Dublin with 1.6 percent. Rentz (.51 percent); Dudley (.5 percent); Dexter (.401 percent); Cadwell (.295 percent); and Montrose (.15 percent) will split the remainder.

The expected share over the tax’s five-year span for each governmental entity is:

– Laurens County: $41.78 million

– Dublin: $23.4 million

– East Dublin: $1.08 million

– Dudley: $337.500

– Dexter: $270,675

– Cadwell: $199,125

– Rentz: $344,250

– Montrose: $101,250

The referendum will be on the ballot for the Nov. 3 general election.

Other business…

Also Tuesday, the commission:

• Approved an alcohol license at 55 Industrial Blvd.

• Appointed Sam Beall to the county Board of Assessors. Beall replaces Matt Lake, who informed county officials that he plans to relocate.

• Approved quit claims for property at Claxton Dairy and Strickland roads. An old road bed from when the intersection was relocated will be split and deeded back as part of two existing parcels.

• Heard from resident Vonda Morton who implored the commission to consider a countywide ban on data centers. Morton noted that companies usually target rural areas with low zoning requirements as sites for data centers.

Laurens County essentially has no zoning requirements, so banning a data center could be difficult.

“We like our rural, small-town life,” Morton told the board.

• Heard from resident Carolyn McCune who asked the commissioners to consider other additional means of announcing county meetings and other events.

McCune also asked that the county address drainage issues in Dublin’s Southside area where flooding hapened during heavy rains on Sunday.