Gwinnett Daily Post | Leaders call for sales tax referendum in November

LAWRENCEVILLE — Shall a one-percent sales and use tax be imposed in the special district of Gwinnett County? It will be up to the voters to decide.

Commissioners officially called for a special election to determine whether a one-percent Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax will continue to fund county capital projects, mostly roads.

A week after signing an agreement with local cities to divvy up to $498 million in taxes collected over three years, leaders set in motion the next step, which is a Nov. 5 referendum. The county elections board is set to meet Thursday to finalize the vote.

“I’m ready. It’s a long process, and a lot of work has gotten us to this point,” Chairwoman Charlotte Nash said of putting the tax before voters. “We think we’ve put together good proposed uses. The cities have done the same. We hope the public will see it in that same light as they go to the polls in November.”

Gwinnett Elections Director Lynn Ledford said the special election — which comes on a day when local cities will hold council elections — is expected to cost up to $500,000 and could bring a turnout of about 20 percent of registered voters.

To avoid that cost and low turnout the next time around, officials have proposed a three-year cycle to the sales tax program, which will begin on April 1, 2014, the day after the current program expires.

With up to $275 million of the county’s portion earmarked for transportation, officials have planned an organizational meeting of a citizens project selection committee. The committee will recommend specific projects for the money sent to transportation.

For residents interested in helping with that process, the meeting is scheduled for 6:30 to 9 p.m. Monday, Aug. 26 at the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center in Lawrenceville.

via Gwinnett Daily Post | Leaders call for sales tax referendum in November.