2025 Referendum Information

As you head to the polls on Tuesday, November 4, here’s a quick breakdown of the three local referendum items that could directly affect how we fund schools and local government — and how much of that burden falls on property owners versus being shared more broadly through sales tax. Featured at the bottom of this email is the exact ballot wording.
 
What’s on the ballot
Voters will see three referendum questions related to local taxation and exemptions. Together, they shape how Coweta pays for schools, infrastructure, and services — and how much of it comes from property tax versus sales tax.
 
How we currently pay for local government
Right now, Coweta residents and businesses support government services through three basic types of taxes:

• State Income Tax – paid to the State of Georgia
• Sales Tax (Coweta is currently at 7%)
  • 4% to the State
  • 1% LOST (Local Option Sales Tax)
  • 1% E-SPLOST (Education SPLOST)
  • 1% SPLOST (Special Local Option Sales Tax)
• Property Tax – on homes, land, and business property

 
Why this matters: property tax and sales tax are what local governments and the school system use to run things — schools, roads, public safety, infrastructure, buses, technology, basic capital refreshes, and services.
 
Sales tax vs. property tax — who pays?

• Property tax falls mostly on homeowners and business owners (renters often pay it indirectly through rent).
• Sales tax is spread more broadly and is based on what people spend.
• Coweta is a regional shopping destination — so when people from Heard, Meriwether, Troup, Fayette, etc. shop here, they help pay for our schools and services. That’s good tax policy for a growing county.

 
1^st Referendum: E-SPLOST renewal (1%) keeps school infrastructure strong
This is not a new tax — it’s a renewal of the existing 1% Education SPLOST.

• Pays for new and rebuilt schools (including things like Newnan High School rebuild)
• Funds buses, safety/security equipment, technology
• Allows for ongoing refurbishment of every school every 15–20 years
• Currently brings in just over $50 million annually for Coweta schools
• If it is not renewed, the Board of Education would have to:
  • either raise property taxes (millage) to make up the difference
  • or let facilities/technology decline, which over time can harm property values

Bottom line: renewing E-SPLOST lets us keep relying on shoppers — including non-residents — to help fund our school system instead of pushing the full cost back onto local property owners.
 
2^nd Referendum: New FLOST (Floating Local Option Sales Tax)
Raises sales tax to 8% but reduces property tax; this is the new item on the ballot.

• It would increase local sales tax from 7% to 8%
• But it is required to be used to offset property taxes
• According to local officials, approval of FLOST would:
  • Allow the City of Newnan to reduce almost 100% of its city property tax
  • Allow the County to reduce its portion of property tax by about 50%
  • This reduction would apply to business property owners as well

 
For many, paying one more penny on the dollar in sales tax — which visitors and shoppers help pay — is preferable to continuing to carry a higher property tax load on our homes and businesses.
 
3^rd Referendum: Senior homestead exemption expansion
The third referendum would increase the homestead exemption for seniors (based on age) to help those on fixed incomes reduce the property tax they pay toward education. This is a targeted relief measure.
 
Please vote
Regardless of how you feel about each item, these are local dollars and local decisions — so your vote truly matters here. Please make time to vote on Tuesday, November 4^th.
 
Thank you for staying engaged in the issues that shape Coweta's business climate and quality of life.