Throughout early voting and on Election Day (March 18, 2025), the voters of Macon-Bibb County overwhelmingly supported the continuation of the Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST), a single penny on the dollar which can only be used to fund things like capital improvement projects. It was approved by the voters by 83%!! 

“This shows us that people know and understand how important this single penny is to the future of our community and how impactful it has already been to take care of much needed projects,” says Macon-Bibb Mayor Lester Miler, who also points out that most of the penny comes from people who don’t live here. “A study from Georgia Tech showed us that more than 71% of this penny is paid for by visitors, meaning they can pay into things they use while here, like public safety and roads.”  

This continuation means the sales tax rate will not change, and will raise $450 million for: 

If the extension is approved, it will provide the funding for the following projects:  

• roads, streets, or bridges, which may include paving, streetlights, sidewalks, bicycle paths, or other pedestrian, public, or user safety enhancements, or any combination of such purposes;   

• public safety facilities, capital equipment used for public safety purposes, or, in the operation of public safety facilities, or any combination of such purposes;   

• economic development purposes to create jobs or promote private investment, which purposes may include airport facilities, or any transportation facility designed for the transportation of people or goods, or capital equipment used for, or in the operation of, such facilities, or a combination of such projects;   

• administrative buildings, a civic center, a convention center, a coliseum, local or regional solid waste handling facilities, local or regional recovered materials processing facilities, a local or regional jail, correctional institution, or other detention facility, a judicial facility, or any combination of such projects;   

• recreational facility, historic facility, or a facility for some combination of such purposes, which purposes may include a park or greenspace, or both;   

• a water capital outlay project, a sewer capital outlay project, a water and sewer capital outlay project, a stormwater capital outlay project, or a combination of such projects;  

• retiring previously incurred general obligation debt or revenue bond debt secured by intergovernmental contract or a combination of such purposes;   

• or any combination of two or more of the foregoing capital outlay projects, which may include any necessary demolition.  

 This penny sales tax has been in place for more than a decade and has led to new public safety equipment and facilities, recreation centers, parks, road repairs, economic development, and more.

“Without the SPLOST, there are many things we currently enjoy as a community that would not have been possible,” adds Mayor Miller. “I want to thank the people of this community for believing in our vision and progress, and for approving a great method of funding to keep us moving forward together. Thank you, Team Macon-Bibb.”