FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 29, 2023
Lumpkin County BOC Votes to Dismiss LOST Appeal of Superior Court Decision
DAHLONEGA, Ga. – The Lumpkin County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to dismiss the appeal of a Superior Court decision regarding the distribution of the local option sales tax (LOST) at a special called meeting on Wednesday, March 29, 2023.
The intention of the lawsuit and the appeal filed by the Board was to encourage the City of Dahlonega to return to mediation with the Board in an effort to resolve the property tax inequity for the unincorporated residents of Lumpkin County.
- Examples demonstrating the tax inequity for unincorporated residents of Lumpkin County, versus incorporated:
- From your property tax bill:
- Unincorporated residents of Lumpkin County receive a credit of 3.008 mills in the form of a rollback from the Lumpkin County LOST collections
- Incorporated residents of Lumpkin County received a credit of 8.446 mills in the form of a rollback
- 3.008 mills from the Lumpkin County LOST collections
- 5.438 mills from the City of Dahlonega LOST collections
- What does this mean in $$:
- Unincorporated residents receive a per capita benefit of $111.75, while incorporated residents receive $277.26 per capita ($165.51 from the city rollback & $111.75 from the county rollback)
- Results in the tax inequity of incorporated residents receive $2.48 of tax relief for every $1 tax relief unincorporated residents receive
For the City to continue LOST negotiations, they have most recently demanded the county enter a 50-year intergovernmental agreement for fire service, which should be negotiated as a part of service delivery in 2027. The Board of Commissioners is not willing to bind future boards to a 50-year intergovernmental agreement.
Additionally, the Commissioners have now been served a lawsuit by the City of Dahlonega against the County at a special called meeting of the Board of Commissioners on March 29, 2023 involving issues related to Fire Station One that is located within the City of Dahlonega.
The Lumpkin County Board of Commissioners has been working in good faith and with the best interest of the community in mind to resolve the property tax inequity for the unincorporated residents of Lumpkin County. Due to the most recent actions and demands by the City Council, the Board has determined it is time to move on and focus on other matters important to the citizens of Lumpkin County. It is obvious the City of Dahlonega is not interested in tax equity for our citizens.
