Members of the public are invited to attend a multi-city Town Hall on Wednesday, Sept. 21, during which mayors from six North Fulton communities will discuss their concerns about proposed allocation changes to Fulton County’s Local Option Sales Tax (LOST). The Town Hall will take place at 7 p.m. in Council Chambers at Roswell City Hall, 38 Hill Street, Roswell, GA 30075.
LOST is a 1% sales tax distributed between Fulton County and the cities in Fulton County. Over the next 10 years, LOST is estimated to generate $3 billion to fund government services in Fulton County and the 15 cities in the county. As an important revenue source for all cities, LOST helps keep property taxes down by helping cities cover the costs of vital services such as fire, police, transportation, recreation and parks, and other services.
Every 10 years by law, the cities and Fulton County must renegotiate LOST distributions. Currently, Fulton County is seeking to increase its share of LOST revenues from approximately 5% to 35%, which is a 600 percent increase. This increase would have a major impact on all cities’ annual budgets and on their millage rates (property tax rates).
The Mayors of the following North Fulton County cities are confirmed to participate in the Town Hall:
- Kurt Wilson, Mayor of Roswell
- Jim Gilvin, Mayor of Alpharetta
- John Bradberry, Mayor of Johns Creek
- Peyton Jamison, Mayor of Milton
- Jim Still, Mayor of Mountain Park
- Rusty Paul, Mayor of Sandy Springs
Moderating the panel will be Steve Gehlback, WSB-TV Channel 2 Reporter. All Fulton County Commissioners have been invited to participate in this important opportunity for dialogue with residents.
