MACON, Ga. — The Georgia House of Representative passed the "other local option sales tax" (OLOST) bill Monday night within the last two hours of Crossover Day, the deadline for a bill to pass one of the legislative chambers.
The bill, sponsored by Rep. Robert Dickey, passed unanimously with 162 representatives voting in favor. OLOST had to pass the House Monday night to survive this legislative session.
Now, the bill is set to move over to the Senate.
“I think it’s a win for Macon-Bibb County. Still has a little ways to go, got to get through the Senate next. The biggest thing I’m impressed by is seeing Democrats and Republicans work together for Macon-Bibb County to get this thing passed unanimously,” Mayor Lester Miller told 13WMAZ after the vote Monday night.
The tax is meant to help Bibb County property owners by rolling back the millage rate, but in exchange, people will have to pay an extra cent on the dollar for taxable items. Miller says around 70 percent of the county's sales tax is paid by people who live outside of Bibb County.
“This is a huge deal. We expect the millage rate to roll back to 12, 12-and-a-quarter. That’s unknown territory for Macon-Bibb County as a consolidated government,” Miller said. “It will make us highly competitive, but it will be highly rewarding for our business owners that will reap the reward. As people save money on their property taxes, they’re going to buy local, and they’ll buy a lot of it. It’s going to be a win-win for Macon-Bibb County.”
This is at least the fourth attempt to get this penny sales tax through the assembly. In January, all commissioners voted to ask the local delegation to push the legislation through the General Assembly.
This legislative session, their pitch is a 100% rollback beginning in 2023. That means they'll cut property taxes by the same amount that the county expects to collect through OLOST.
With the proposed bill, Mayor Lester Miller and Rep. Dale Washburn says they’re estimating property taxes will be cut by about 7 mills in 2022.
According to Rep. Washburn, it’s expected to bring in $8 million for operational cost in the last quarter of this year.
Even if the bill passes the Georgia Senate this session and is signed by Gov. Kemp, the majority of Bibb County voters will have to vote in favor of the change.