City of Newnan explains proposed 1% FLOST sales tax ahead of Nov. 4, 2025 ballot
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Summary
The City of Newnan released a video FAQ explaining FLOST, a 1% floating local option sales tax created under Georgia law aimed at reducing property taxes. The city says it would receive 29.11% of FLOST revenues and projects collections would begin in January 2026 if voters approve the measure on Nov. 4, 2025.
A City of Newnan staff member said in a city video FAQ that FLOST — a 1% “floating local option sales tax” authorized by the Georgia Legislature — will appear on the Nov. 4, 2025 ballot and, if approved by voters in Coweta County, would be used only for property tax relief.
The city official said the law enabling FLOST is House Bill 581 (the Save Our Home Act), passed by the Georgia General Assembly on March 28, 2024, and signed by Gov. Brian Kemp on April 18, 2024. The presenter said the City of Newnan did not opt out of the law by the March 1, 2025 deadline, making the city eligible to receive a share of any FLOST collections in Coweta County.
The city official summarized how FLOST fits with other local sales taxes: FLOST is a 1% countywide sales tax similar in rate to LOST, SPLOST and E-SPLOST but, the presenter said, “unlike SPLOST and E-SPLOST, FLOST is specifically designed to reduce property taxes. Per Georgia law, funds from FLOST may only be used for property tax relief.” The presenter added, “FLOST stands for floating local option sales tax.”
City staff provided allocation figures the county and city use to divide sales-tax revenue: the presenter said Coweta County’s total sales tax on a typical taxable purchase is 7%, with 4 percentage points going to the state and 3 points to county/local taxes. Based on an intergovernmental agreement, the presenter said the City of Newnan currently receives 30.28% of LOST revenues, 26.94% of SPLOST revenues and would receive 29.11% of FLOST revenues if the measure is approved.
The video said FLOST collections would be charged on taxable purchases in Coweta County and paid by purchasers, including nonresidents who shop in the county. City staff said the city projects that, based on current purchasing patterns, the city could reduce its millage rate — the rate used to calculate property taxes — to zero, which the presenter described as eliminating property taxes collected by the City of Newnan. The presenter did not provide the detailed revenue or millage calculations in the video.
The presenter described FLOST as time-limited. The video said the tax would begin collections in January 2026 if approved by voters and noted the tax is subject to a five-year authorization period; the presenter said a local act of the General Assembly would have to occur to renew it before it could be placed before voters again. The video gave dates related to the measure’s schedule on the ballot and civic information: it said the measure is on the Nov. 4, 2025 ballot and referenced a starting date of Oct. 14, 2025 for related ballot processes.
For more information, the presenter directed viewers to the City of Newnan website and the Coweta County website and provided an email contact (news@newnanga.gov) and the city’s social-media channels.
