Fulton County signs agreement for fall TSPLOST referendum

Key points:
• Fulton County officials signed an agreement with city leaders on Aug. 3 for a referendum this fall to extend a 0.75% transportation sales tax (TSPLOST) that generates more than $650 million over five years.
• If approved by voters, Sandy Springs will receive approximately $129 million for infrastructure through the early 2030s.
• Mediation will begin this month between the cities of Atlanta and Sandy Springs regarding water system negotiations.

The Fulton County Commission met with representatives from each of its 15 cities on Aug. 3 to discuss this fall’s five-year, $653 million TSPLOST referendum and ongoing service negotiations between Atlanta and Sandy Springs.

Revenue generated by TSPLOST, or the countywide 0.75-cent sales tax for transportation projects, is divided between Fulton County jurisdictions (excluding Atlanta) based on population. Funds go toward roadway projects and congestion relief, sidewalks and streetscapes, bridges, and maintenance.

Five-year tax extension

Sandy Springs Mayor Rusty Paul said the most complaints he gets from residents are about congestion and traffic.

“Sandy Springs has particular transportation challenges because the roads are an old farm network that follows the topography,” Paul said, mentioning Mount Vernon Highway’s route along a ridgeline. “These funds have allowed us to really address some of the major bottlenecks in the city. Another thing that people want are sidewalks … so that’s where we put the money.”

The county commission approved the intergovernmental agreement without discussion.

If Fulton County voters approve the referendum this fall, Sandy Springs would receive an estimated $129 million, or 17.2% of all revenue, for infrastructure improvements within the city through the early 2030s. It would be the third extension of the 0.75% sales tax for Fulton County cities, excluding Atlanta.

Collections for the current 2021 TSPLOST run through March 31, 2027. A five-year renewal would keep the total sales tax rate in Sandy Springs at 7.75%.

Paul said the Sandy Springs community is advocating for walkability, so the city has roughly $20 million exclusively dedicated to sidewalk projects. Other improvements typically include sidewalks or paths.

“These are funds that, without them, we couldn’t do a drop in the bucket of what we’ve been able to accomplish,” Paul said.

Water system negotiations

County officials reported that as of Aug. 3, most of the outstanding disagreements related to service delivery strategy (SDS) negotiations have been resolved. Still deliberating are the cities of Sandy Springs ( with the City of Atlanta) and South Fulton (with the county government). Former Georgia Supreme Court Justice Mike Boggs is mediating.

Paul has said Sandy Springs wants to purchase its water system from Atlanta this summer and is willing to risk funding. He said mediation with Atlanta is scheduled for after the city receives an appraisal of the water system on or before Aug. 17.

Fulton County and its 15 cities are required by state law to finalize all intergovernmental agreements on public services by the end of the year, with an Oct. 5 submission deadline. If agreements are not finalized, municipalities can lose state and federal funding.

At the countywide meeting, Paul said a late July conference between the cities’ legal teams “went relatively well.”

“Justice Boggs said he will schedule the mediation the following week [on or about Aug. 24],” he said.

After the meeting, Paul said city officials will have a better understanding of where they can agree after the first mediation. He said losing funding would impact Atlanta more than Sandy Springs, which he thinks will “force us to get serious about negotiation.”

“I’ve got two situations on my street right now … huge leaks in people’s yards just running down and going into a storm sewer,” Paul said. “One has been there almost a year, and the other for several weeks. It’s having to be paid for and the system is just starting to fail, so we’ve got to do something.”

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