ATLANTA — The state senate scheduled a hearing Tuesday on a bill that would change the way some counties hold elections for local tax hikes.
Counties around metro Atlanta collect special sales taxes for schools, for special projects and for transportation. However, some lawmakers think it’s a little fishy how they get approved by voters.
When DeKalb County extended its special local option sales tax or SPLOST last year, the county held the election at a time when there was no presidential election and no congressional elections. There weren’t even any county races on the ballot.
"They’ve set these elections in the offseason, if you will," said state Sen. Randy Robertson (R-Cataula), "at times when families are on vacation or involved in other things that necessarily don’t make it convenient for them to go vote."
Robertson wants to change that. In DeKalb County last year, the SPLOST won overwhelming approval. But now Robertson has introduced a bill that would require counties or cities seeking voter approval for taxes to hold those elections at the same time as presidential, congressional or other higher-turnout elections.
He said that would bring in more voters to weigh in on optional tax questions. Robertson also said some counties seeking new taxes count on lower turnout elections to get them approved.
"I think some of it is intentional. For those who say it’s not, let's bring it all out into the light and do it when elections normally happen when our citizens are conditioned to go out and vote," Robertson said.
Lobbyists working on behalf of cities and counties are expected to partially support the bill, inasmuch as requiring combined elections would save election costs.