Saporta Report reported Monday that DeKalb County officials are planning on asking the Georgia General Assembly in early 2013 to approve a local option sales tax to be spent on various transportation projects.  From CEO Burrell Ellis’ budget recommendation to DeKalb County Commissioners, he writes…

“In 2013, we will seek the Georgia Legislature’s approval for a local option sales tax for Transportation purposes, in order to address this growing backlog of street resurfacing, sidewalks, intersection safety and congestion relief and related projects.”

The county has nearly spent all the 2006 transportation bond funds, and now wants to allocate $5 million from the HOST program to continue to pay for needed transportation repairs and upgrades.  But HOST isn’t enough to leverage all available matching funds, according to Saporta.  That’s why the commissioners and the CEO are pursuing this option.

The HOST case is back!

A press release announces that the decade-long HOST (Homestead Option Sales Tax) dispute between Decatur (and other DeKalb cities) versus DeKalb County over millions of dollars in HOST money will heard by the Georgia Supreme Court for a third time next Tuesday, February 8th.  Here’s all the background on the case, courtesy of the release.  Also it’s good to know that by last estimate, Decatur was owed $10 million in back HOST/capital improvement money by DeKalb County.

CITY OF DECATUR ET AL. V. DEKALB COUNTY (S11A0354)

This appeal stems from a dispute between four cities in DeKalb County and the county government over the distribution and expenditure of tax revenues. This is the third time this case has come to the Georgia Supreme Court.

FACTS: In 1998, the cities of Decatur, Chamblee, Doraville and Stone Mountain, along with other DeKalb municipalities, entered into a 49-year intergovernmental agreement (IGA) with the county to provide for the distribution of millions of dollars in sales tax proceeds. The agreement required the county to share with the cities a portion of Homestead Option Sales and Use Tax (HOST) money. HOST is a countywide one-cent sales tax approved by voters in 1997 to help offset property taxes. Under the HOST statute, 80 percent of the revenues must be used for that purpose, with the remaining 20 percent to be used to fund capital improvements. Under the agreement, the cities could use the money as they pleased as long as they were used for “capital outlay projects” within county boundaries.

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Apparently, when its city coffers were flush with loot, the city of Atlanta had no problem with DeKalb County’s odd distribution practices of HOST funds to its cities.

But now that times are tough, they want their freakin’ money.

This morning’s AJC reports that Atlanta has also now jumped on the HOST “give-me”bandwagon, asking DeKalb for the millions of dollars its owed (since 33,000 city of Atlanta residents live in DeKalb.)  Atlanta believes its owed around $10 million a year (under the current formula I assume) and attributes the non-payment to not filling out some paperwork in the late 1990s.

Yeah Atlanta, I bet you wish it was that simple.  Just an oversight by the Atlanta and the county.  Now that things are out in the open, I’m sure the County will be happy to pay up.  Its not like they’ve been playing dumb about distribution of HOST funds in court for the past 8 years or anything.

Our county’s new CEO was sworn in yesterday!  Cue the street-dancing.

I think as long as Ellis doesn’t make me feel like I have no right to know anything that he’s doing, I’ll be happy.

…So, can we settle this HOST dispute now?  What?  Too early?