Dawson Sales Tax Revenue Soars to Record High

DAWSONVILLE, Ga. – Many Dawson County businesses enjoyed a record-breaking month in May, generating $1.2 million in sales tax revenue that will help pay for operation of county government and the school district.

A press release issued by the Development Authority of Dawson County indicated that May sales tax revenue was 11.5 percent ahead of the same month in 2016.

“May was an extremely good month for Dawson County businesses. We hope it is a sign of the start of a very good summer,” said Charlie Auvermann, executive director of the Development Authority of Dawson County.

Dawson County has become the main shopping destination for the northern GA 400 corridor. The result is an increase in sales tax revenue paid to the county, the school system and the city.

Local Option Sales Tax (LOST) revenue was also up by 9% for 2017.

“These are the critical sources of operating and construction revenue for our county,” Auvermann said. “The higher these collections are the less pressure there is on our elected officials to have to raise personal property taxes.”

Sales tax revenue is a fast source of funding for the county since there is only a few weeks delay in getting the funds from the state. With property tax, the county doesn’t collect the funds until the end of each year.

Dawson County is at a 60/40 ratio for tax revenue. That is considered a very healthy situation. According to Department of Community Affairs approximately 60 percent of Dawson County taxes come from a combination of sales and service fee-related activity.

Auvermann noted, “When you compare that to Pickens County, they are considered a property tax county. Dawson is considered an economically-driven county. That gives our elected officials more options rather than just raising the taxes on everyone’s homes.”

The board of directors for the authority is working closely with their staff to insure the tax ratio stays in balance over time. “It has taken years of work to achieve what we see today,” Dr. Sherry Weeks, chairman of the authority, board reminded. “It will take extended vision, commitment and a long-term investment to maintain

There also was good news on the job front where county unemployment fell to just 3.9 percent, one of the lowest rates in Georgia.