Voters across Northwest Georgia delivered a mixed mandate Tuesday regarding local sales taxes, with communities embracing new revenue streams while Floyd County narrowly rejected a crucial measure intended to reduce property taxes.

The proposed extra one-penny sales tax—a “floating local option sales tax” (LOST)—that would have generated funds to defray a portion of property taxes in Rome and Floyd County, failed by a tight margin, setting the county apart from its neighbors.

The measure, designed to reduce the county’s millage rate, was defeated by a vote of 4,598 “No” to 4,484 “Yes,” illustrating deep divisions over shifting the burden from property owners to consumers through a broader sales tax.

Sales Tax Successes Elsewhere

The Floyd County decision stood in stark contrast to results across the region, where voters embraced additional sales tax measures. Voters in Chattooga, Walker, Catoosa, and Gordon Counties all approved their respective sales tax proposals aimed at funding local projects and offsetting public expenses.

These outcomes signal a regional trend toward utilizing consumption taxes to fund local government operations, a path Floyd County rejected by the narrowest of margins.

New Faces Elected to Rome City Commission

Despite the failure of the tax measure, voters in Rome successfully installed new leadership.

In the race for the Rome City Commission, newcomer Elaina Beeman emerged as the top vote-getter, securing a seat alongside fellow newly elected commissioners Jill Fisher and Vic Hixon.

The new commissioners will join the board as the city navigates the financial implications of the rejected sales tax proposal.

School Board and Local Referenda Passed

Voters also elected several new members to the Rome City School Board. The successful candidates included Faith Collins, Toni Blanchard, Alvin Jackson, Will Byington, Pascha Burge, Marquita Davis, and Brenda Boyd.

In other local referenda, voters in unincorporated Floyd County approved measures allowing liquor by the drink sales and Sunday alcohol sales, indicating a shift in local regulations regarding alcohol consumption outside the city limits.

Meanwhile, the nearby city of Cave Spring also completed its municipal elections, with voters electing Kristi Reed, Charles Jackson, and Baker Harbin to the city council.

The results from Tuesday’s election confirm a divided electorate in Floyd County—one willing to approve expanded alcohol sales and usher in new political leadership, but hesitant to embrace a new sales tax as a means of property tax relief. Officials will now have to re-evaluate strategies for managing property tax rates without the anticipated sales tax revenue.