Roswell's 7.75% sales tax rate will hold steady through 2032 if voters approve a countywide transportation tax renewal on the November 3 ballot. If they don't, it drops by three-quarters of a cent when the current collections expire in spring 2027.

The Fulton County Commission on Monday, August 3, signed an intergovernmental agreement with its participating cities, formally placing the 0.75% TSPLOST renewal before voters for a third five-year term. The Fulton County Registration and Elections Board placed the referendum on the ballot the same day, according to WABE.

The three-quarters-of-a-cent-per-dollar tax already applies to every taxable purchase in Roswell, including Canton Street dinners and Holcomb Bridge Road retail. It's baked into the city's current combined sales tax rate. If voters reject the renewal, that rate would fall when collections end March 31, 2027. If they approve it, the rate stays the same through March 2032.

What Roswell stands to gain

The renewal is projected to generate $85 million to $95 million for Roswell over five years, according to the city's TSPLOST page. Countywide, the tax would raise an estimated $653 million, split among jurisdictions by population.

A draft Tier 1 project list presented at a May 12 council work session totals $84.2 million, Appen Media reported. The biggest-ticket proposals:

  • East Roswell Loop — a $24 million multi-use trail with paths along Holcomb Bridge Road and Riverside Road
  • Citywide road resurfacing — $15 million in supplemental funding, ranked the top priority by nearly 1,200 residents in a community survey
  • Oxbo Road and Old Holcomb Bridge Road bridge repairs — $10 million for two aging structures over Hog Wallow Creek and Big Creek
  • Norcross Street multi-use trail — $8.7 million to complete the connection
  • Ga. 9 and Mansell Road intersection improvements

"At this point, we have so many roads that are behind in resurfacing that you're never going to be able to close that gap without additional investment from other funds, like TSPLOST," Councilwoman Sarah Beeson said at the May 12 work session.

What it means for businesses

The TSPLOST applies to meals, retail goods, and taxable services purchased in Roswell. Unprepared groceries remain exempt. Because the tax is already in effect, approval would mean no change for merchants or customers at the register. A "no" vote would lower the combined rate by 0.75 percentage points starting April 2027.

Sandy Springs Mayor Rusty Paul, speaking at the August 3 county meeting where the agreement was signed, said the tax has been essential for his city's infrastructure. "These are funds that, without them, we couldn't do a drop in the bucket of what we've been able to accomplish," Paul told Rough Draft Atlanta.

Roswell Transportation Director Andy Phlegar told the council in May that early TSPLOST funds may be held to earn interest for future use, and that a project's concept and design phases cost less than construction.

How to vote

The ballot question asks whether voters in Fulton County outside Atlanta will approve "an additional .75 percent sales tax … for five years for the purpose of transportation improvements and congestion reduction."

Key dates:

  • Voter registration deadline: Monday, October 5
  • Early voting: Tuesday, October 13 through Friday, October 30
  • Election Day: Tuesday, November 3

Voters first approved the TSPLOST in 2016 and renewed it in 2021. More than 600,000 Fulton County residents outside Atlanta are covered by the tax.