Paulding County manager announces 1% sales-tax ballot question to reduce property taxes

Paulding County Manager Tabitha Pollard announced a ballot question proposing a special 1% sales and use tax to be imposed for five years, with proceeds used exclusively to reduce property taxes imposed by Paulding County and participating municipalities.

Pollard read the ballot language on air: "Shall a special 1% sales and use tax be imposed for 5 years within the special district of Paulding County with the proceeds used exclusively to reduce property taxes imposed by Paulding County and the municipalities of Dallas and Bratzwold." She said the proposal would add one additional penny to the current Paulding County sales tax.

Pollard said the county estimates the penny would generate "approximately 31,000,000 annually for 5 years," and that the revenue would be used to reduce the maintenance and operations (M&O) portion of property tax bills. She described an estimated impact of a 67% reduction in the M&O portion of a typical property tax bill. Pollard said the revenue would be shared with the City of Dallas and what the transcript spells as the City of Bratwille/Bratzwold; she also said the City of Hiram is not currently participating.

Pollard identified the initiative as part of House Bill 581, which she said also increased the homestead exemption. She noted that shifting revenue to sales tax moves some of the tax burden to spending by visitors and nonresidents.

Pollard directed residents to the county website, www.paulding.gov, to view the sample ballot and said the sample ballot was published last week in the Dallas New Era. The transcript does not specify an election date or additional implementing steps.

This announcement was informational; no formal vote or final county action on the measure was recorded in the provided transcript.