What a Floating Local Option Sales Tax (FLOST) can do, if approved by local voters in November, is to add a penny to the sales to directly lower the amount of property taxes paid by Floyd County and Rome residents.

FLOST revenue must be used for property tax relief.

Per Code Section 48-8-109.42:
“[S]hall be used exclusively for tax relief and in conjunction with all limitations provided in the intergovernmental agreement authorizing the tax for such political subdivision.”

Additionally:
“Each taxpayer's ad valorem tax bill shall clearly state the dollar amount by which the property tax has been reduced as a result of the imposition of the tax imposed under this article”; and

“The roll-back rate for the political subdivision, which is calculated under Code Section 48-5-32.1 [Taxpayer Bill of Rights], shall be reduced annually by the millage equivalent of the net proceeds of the tax authorized under this article, which proceeds were received by the political subdivision during the prior taxable year.”

The Floyd County and Rome commissions draft an intergovernmental agreement, as they do with all sales tax revenues, and the FLOST funds are split between the county and city based on that agreement, solely for the purpose of property tax relief.
The funds must be applied uniformly across all forms of tangible property within Floyd County. When the reduction is shown on the taxpayer’s property tax bill, it MUST be applied as property tax relief, which would be a reduction in a charge that is assessed and levied upon the value of a property. The credit cannot reduce any charge or fee, which is not levied upon the value of the property (ad valorem). If a flat dollar amount is shown on the property tax bill, that dollar amount must be derived from the taxpayer’s savings from the reduction in the millage rate or assessed value.
If the FLOST is approved by voters, then those collections would begin in April 2026 and Floyd County and Rome residents would begin to see relief on their 2027 property tax bill. Those collections will not be reflected on your 2026 property tax bill.
No, the FLOST only lasts for a five-year period. To renew the FLOST after a five-year period it will have to be approved by the General Assembly, a new intergovernmental agreement between Floyd County and Rome as well as voters approving the passage in a local referendum.
If you pass the FLOST and your legislative delegation does not approve the renewal or the voters do not renew it, then the most likely outcome is an increase in the applicable millage rates. Since FLOST is sales tax being used to offset property tax, if the FLOST expires, the local government will have to cut expenses, raise property taxes, or some combination thereof.
No. The Floyd County Commission passed a Homestead Tax Freeze in 2002 which is stronger than the one mandated by the state. The homestead freeze and will remain in place.