County Commissioners Approve Agreement For Service Delivery Strategy

Press release from Douglas County:

Dec. 20, 2022

The Douglas County Board of Commissioners approved an Intergovernmental Agreement with the City of Douglasville, for Service Delivery Strategy and for Local Option Sales Tax for the cities of Austell, Douglasville, and Villa Rica in a special called meeting on Tuesday, December 19, 2022.

The Service Delivery Strategy process gives local governments and authorities the opportunity to reach an agreement on the delivery of services. It is required every 10 years in all 159 counties and is meant to ensure delivery of services to citizens in a cost-efficient and effective manner. The current Service Delivery Strategy expires on October 31, 2023. The approved Intergovernmental Agreement resolves Service Delivery Strategy between the County and City of Douglasville to 2033.

District 1 Commissioner Henry Mitchell III served as Chairman of the Service Delivery Strategy Committee while District 3 Commissioner Tarenia Carthan served as Chairman of the Local Option Sales Tax Committee.

“As your Douglas County District 1 Commissioner & Chairman of the Service Delivery Strategy Committee, I am excited to announce that the long process of negotiations of the LOST & SDS agreement are solidified and will set the direction for the County and cities,” stated Commissioner Henry Mitchell III. “As your Servant Leader, I would like to sincerely thank all of the participants, including staff.” Commissioner Mitchell further stated, “Our "One Douglas" approach with the willingness to work together has truly paid off. This was a job well done for the constituents from which we serve.”

All 159 counties in Georgia can levy a 1% Local Option Sales Tax (LOST). Revenue must by law be split between governments. The current LOST Distribution Certificate expires on December 31, 2022. Every 10 years, Douglas County and the cities must renegotiate LOST distributions by law. The approved Intergovernmental Agreement allocated LOST distributions through 2032.
“As Chairman of the LOST Committee, I am excited that the Board of Commissioners and the Cities of Douglasville, Villa Rica, and Austell have come to an agreement to provide equitable credit and services to our citizens for the next 10 years,” stated Tarenia Carthan, District 3 Commissioner. “We all benefit as a community when we work together.”

This press release was produced by Douglas County. The views expressed here are the author's own.