Intergovernmental agreement coming up for vote on local Commissions, Council

The local penny sales tax meant to help fund everything from cop cars to new buildings will likely be coming to the ballot in November to extend it past 2026 and into the future.

Cedartown Commissioners are set to discuss it Monday night, and the Polk County Commission will be voting on the issue on Tuesday night with other local councils set to discuss it later this month to determine whether it’ll go before voters in November.

The cities and county have to come together on an intergovernmental agreement on how much in collections they’ll seek and how the proceeds will be divided as the first step in the process of setting up the extension of the Special Purpose, Local Option Sales Tax for the ballot on local elections later this year.

The SPLOST previously passed and began collections in 2020 will expire come 2026, and local officials are hoping that if the measure isn’t successful for later this year they’ll be able to get it back on the ballot in either 2024 and again in 2025 if necessary. SPLOST proposals in Polk County have traditionally over the past decade gone up onto the ballot during off-year, local-only elections.

This round of SPLOST collections is being sought to collect $64 million from sales taxes from businesses in Polk. They are basing the requested figure on projections provided to local officials who have been negotiating the next package, and how to divide the proceeds between the county and cities of Cedartown, Rockmart and Aragon.

Officials previously met about SPLOST to determine how much to seek and iron out the details of the Intergovernmental agreement being discussed at the Cedartown City Commission work session tonight, and on Tuesday at County Commission’s regular session when votes will be taken on the intergovernmental agreement.

The county will get the first official word in on seeking SPLOST’s extension, but they won’t be the last. The Cedartown City Commission will have their regular session next Monday, May 8, followed by the Rockmart City Council on Tuesday, May 9.

The Aragon City Council will meet again and be able to seal the intergovernmental agreement on Thursday, May 18.

If (more like when) the cities and county agree together and all vote and sign the paperwork, then they can forward the request to the Board of Elections and Registration to get the measure placed on the ballot for November.

Off-year elections like the one coming up will mainly focus on City Commission and Council seats in Cedartown, Rockmart and Aragon.