Newnan approves countywide FLOST agreement; city plans public education before November vote

The City of Newnan on July 22 unanimously approved an intergovernmental agreement among Coweta County and the county’s municipalities that spells out how revenues would be divided if a proposed floating local option sales tax (FLOST) appears on the November ballot and voters approve it. Under the agreement presented to the council, the City of Newnan — as the county seat and the county’s largest municipality — would receive 29.11 percent of receipts if the proposed one‑cent FLOST is adopted, according to the agenda materials. The FLOST option follows state legislation adopted by the Georgia House of Representatives in 2024 (House Bill 581), which allows municipalities that did not opt out of the Floating Homestead Act to call for a referendum on a countywide sales tax increase that could be used to reduce ad valorem property taxes. City staff said the sole purpose of a passed FLOST would be to reduce or potentially eliminate property taxes by replacing some revenue with sales tax. Council members approved the intergovernmental agreement unanimously. Mayor Keith Brady said the city will provide public education sessions throughout the fall before the November election to explain the potential local impacts of FLOST. The agreement itself governs how revenues would be divided among the county and municipalities if voters approve the tax; it does not place the tax on the ballot. Any ballot placement and final implementation would be subject to state law and subsequent voter approval.