On November 8, 2022, voters approved the renewal of the one-cent Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax for another six years. Find the answers to your questions about the 2023 referendum below.
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Learn More2023 SPLOST Referendum
2023 SPLOST Referendum FAQ
SPLOST is a Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax. It is a one-cent sales tax on all retail purchases in Gwinnett County. This means that everyone who makes a purchase in Gwinnett County, including visitors, contributes to the support of local government. The funds are used for capital improvement projects, like County and city facilities, acres of greenspace, parks and recreation facilities, new roads and improvements, police and fire stations, and libraries around the county. By law, SPLOST cannot be used for day-to-day operational expenses.
The approved referendum renews the existing SPLOST, which is set to expire on March 31, 2023. It is not a new or additional tax but a continuation of the one-cent tax already being collected on retail sales. Sales tax in Gwinnett is 6 percent, which includes 4 percent for state taxes, 1 percent for schools’ E-SPLOST, and 1 percent for our SPLOST program. Gwinnett’s sales tax will remain at 6 percent in April 2023 when the new collection begins.
The penny will be collected for a six-year period, beginning April 1, 2023.
The new program is expected to raise $1.35 billion over the next six years. Cities make up a quarter of Gwinnett’s land area and a quarter of our population, and they are expected to receive about a quarter of the SPLOST funds collected during the 2023 SPLOST program.
Here is an estimated breakdown on how the County plans to use 2023 SPLOST funds:
- Transportation: $736.3 million for roads, streets, bridges, facilities, and equipment
- Public safety facilities/equipment: $133.9 million; $86.4 million will go toward a new police headquarters
- Recreational facilities/equipment: $108 million
- Courthouse facility renovation: $12.5 million
- Animal Welfare facility renovation: $5.2 million
- Senior Services facilities: $4.7 million
- Fleet Management facilities: $4.4 million
A committee made up of residents will review and prioritize transportation projects, the largest category in the proposed sales tax program.
While SPLOST provides funding for capital projects to your county government and our 16 cities, E-SPLOST provides funding to Gwinnett County Public Schools and Buford City Schools. Gwinnett voters approved a renewal of E-SPLOST in 2020. The most recently approved E-SPLOST program will run until 2027.
General obligation debt is secured by the full faith and credit of the local government issuing the debt and is backed by its ad valorem taxing power. When issuance of general obligation debt is authorized by a SPLOST referendum, the county also pledges SPLOST proceeds to pay the interest and principal on the debt as it matures. The authorization to issue general obligation debt provides the County with the flexibility to move forward with high priority projects sooner.
Since 1985, SPLOST programs have raised more than $4 billion. SPLOST also allows the County to pay for major projects with a funding source other than property tax revenue. This can include new projects or improvements to existing assets. SPLOST helps the County keep up with the needs of our growing population — from our quality road system to our thriving senior service centers and from our supportive public safety facilities to our beautiful parks.
Watch the video below to see some of the many parks, road, and other improvements that have been funded by SPLOST over the years.