Commissioners unanimously backed a 3 November referendum on extending the 0.75% sales tax collected outside Atlanta for a further five years, with city mayors signing an agreement on how the revenue would be shared.
Voters in Fulton County will have the final say in November on whether to extend a sales tax expected to raise $650 million for transportation projects, after the Board of Commissioners unanimously agreed to put the measure on the ballot. The resolution, passed by voice vote at a special meeting on Monday, sets up a 3 November referendum on renewing the county’s Transportation Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax, known as TSPLOST, for a further five years. Mayors and city leaders attended the session and joined a ceremonial signing of an intergovernmental agreement on how the money would be shared.
The measure would not raise the sales tax rate. Rather than creating a new levy, a yes vote would continue the existing 0.75% tax collected in Fulton County outside the City of Atlanta, which operates its own transportation sales tax. The wording of the ballot question has now been finalised, and voters will be asked: “Shall an additional .75 percent sales tax be collected in that part of Fulton County, Georgia, outside of the City of Atlanta, for five years for the purpose of transportation improvements and congestion reduction?”
County officials say the funding would pay for major transportation schemes across North and South Fulton aimed at improving safety, easing congestion, supporting economic development and enhancing quality of life. Fulton voters first backed the TSPLOST in November 2016 and approved its first renewal in 2021, meaning a third five-year authorisation is now on the table. The county says voter education work will begin immediately, with a published timeline running from August through to the referendum on 3 November 2026.
Cities will pick their own projects
Although Fulton County administers the programme and distributes the revenue, the transportation projects themselves are chosen and managed by the individual cities, with each participating municipality identifying and overseeing its own approved schemes. Project lists for the proposed renewal are still being drawn up, and the county says details of what would be funded will be released separately once cities complete their submissions.
Eligible work stretches well beyond road widening. Depending on each city’s priorities, previous and proposed TSPLOST programmes have covered bridge improvements, intersection upgrades, sidewalks, bicycle and pedestrian facilities, safety improvements, streetscapes, culvert replacements and quick-response transportation projects. If the renewal passes, county leaders estimate it would generate more than $650 million for infrastructure across the area over the next five years.
Business investment used to make the case
Before the vote, commissioners heard an economic development presentation setting out the county’s national standing in business recruitment. Samir Abdullahi, executive director of Select Fulton, said Selection Magazine has placed Fulton among the nation’s Top 20 counties for economic development for three consecutive years, a run that includes Top 10 finishes and the leading position in the Southeast.
The presentation pointed to recent investments from companies including Morgan Stanley, Microsoft, Mercedes-Benz North America, Hisense, CRH, Shriners Research and T. Marzeti. Officials also underlined the county’s weight in the regional economy, noting that Fulton accounts for roughly one-third of metro Atlanta’s jobs and about half of the region’s total wages.
