Forsyth County weighs two tax questions for roads and homeowner relief

Forsyth County commissioners are weighing two tax questions that would hit households in different ways: a one-cent TSPLOST for roads and trails, and a local homestead option sales tax that could offset property taxes for owners of homesteaded homes. At a May 26 work session, commissioners signaled support for exploring both measures, while also worrying that voters may be weary of new tax referendums.

The transportation question would spread more of the county’s growth bill to shoppers and commuters instead of putting the full load on property owners. Forsyth’s TSPLOST page says the tax would be a one-cent sales tax used solely for transportation projects, and that people who spend money in the county would help pay for the roads they use. County materials also say the tax would give Forsyth a dedicated revenue source for congestion and connectivity, and could help the county match state and federal dollars for larger projects.

The homeowner-relief question is tied to Georgia’s HB 581, signed by Gov. Brian Kemp on April 18, 2024, which created a statewide homestead exemption that limits increases in taxable home value to inflation unless a local government opts out, and also authorized a local sales tax for property tax relief. That matters in Forsyth, where Census Bureau estimates put the population at 282,805 on July 1, 2025, with 98,879 housing units, an 84.4% owner-occupied rate, a median owner-occupied home value of $550,400 and median monthly mortgage costs of $2,525.

The broader backdrop is a county that has spent years planning for heavier traffic and faster growth. Forsyth adopted its updated Comprehensive Transportation Plan on Aug. 1, 2024, after a process that included six public open houses, two pop-up events and two online surveys, and the county says the plan looks 20 years ahead and is meant to guide investments in safety, traffic flow and multimodal options. County planning materials say Forsyth joined the Atlanta Regional Commission in July 2021 and grew by 132% from 2000 to 2019, underscoring why roads, sidewalks and trail connections keep rising to the top of local debates.

Forsyth also has a long history with voter-approved sales taxes. The county says SPLOST is a 1% sales and use tax for designated improvement projects, and county records note the program has been renewed repeatedly since 1987, funding road work, parks, fire stations, libraries and other capital projects. That history may help commissioners make the case for a transportation tax, but the same record also explains the political risk: in a county where many residents already carry high housing costs, even one more referendum can feel like a direct test of how much growth voters are willing to finance.