A quarter-cent increase to the Macon County sales tax rate would raise more than $2 million in revenue for the county, though county commissioners declined to earmark the funds.
The decision came during the board’s Nov. 13 meeting, placing the measure on the ballot for the 2026 general election. The rate increase has been considered twice since 2022, where it was voted down by local taxpayers during the 2022 and 2024 general elections.
The current sales tax rate in the county is 6.75%, made up of 4.75% state-mandated and 2% imposed by the county. If the ballot initiative is passed, the rate would become 7%. The rate would not apply to unprepared food or gas, said County Manager Warren Cabe. He said it was previously estimated that the quarter-cent increase would raise an additional $2.3 million for the county, but future boards would not necessarily be bound to an earmark set by the current board.
The board considered briefly whether to earmark where the new income would be put to use, with Commissioner Gary Shields saying it could go to education and Commissioner John Shearl noting it could be used to improve county facilities like the Senior Center but added that the coming election could change the makeup of the board.
Eventually, the board agreed to leave off the earmark for now, though Commissioner Barry Breeden confirmed with the county attorney that the board could later update the ballot measure to include an earmark as long as the decision was made before state deadlines for printing ballots.