Agreement reached concerning LOST

TIFTON, December 19, 2022: Tift County and the Cities of Tifton, TyTy and Omega are happy to announce that they have reached an agreement concerning the distribution of Local Option Sales Tax (LOST) proceeds. The agreement allows for the distribution ratio that has been in place for the last 10 years to remain in place for the next 10 years.

LOST is a 1% tax imposed on the sale of tangible personal property and is collected as a part of every point-of-sale transaction in Tift County. Over the course of the next decade, they anticipate that LOST will generate more than $100 million to help fund many of the essential services that are so vital to the community and to help provide tax relief to property owners.  

Tifton Mayor Julie Smith said, "We are grateful for the opportunity to provide tax relief for our residents and property owners. The renewal of the Local Option Sales Tax is beneficial to all. LOST is a fair tax as it is consumer based. We hope to continue working together for the best of all who call Tifton home." 

"The entire Board of Commissioners is happy to announce that Tift County and our local city governments have agreed to continue the Local Option Sales Tax (LOST),” stated Tift County Commission Chairman, Tony McBrayer. “In Georgia, the LOST tax is a significant source of revenue for counties and cities. More importantly, the revenue resulting from the LOST tax is generated by everyone who makes a retail purchase in our community, decreasing local governments' dependency on property taxes as the primary funding source for public services.” 

All 4 governing bodies agree that renewing LOST for the next 10 years is a win for all Tift taxpayers, and the agreement demonstrates that the cities and the County are committed to working together for our community.