The Walker County Board of Commissioners recently approved a resolution calling for a referendum on the special purpose local option sales tax, commonly referred to as SPLOST.

On November 4^th, voters will be requested to renew the SPLOST for a new six-year cycle. The 2026 SPLOST would not begin until the 2020 SPLOST expires on September 30, 2026, so consumers would not experience any overlap.

SPLOST remains a popular method for financing improvements in communities across Georgia. It creates a dedicated funding source for capital improvement projects approved by voters and takes pressure off using property taxes to fund enhancements to services.

Walker County and the cities of Chickamauga, Fort Oglethorpe, LaFayette, Lookout Mountain, and Rossville entered into an intergovernmental agreement to determine which projects will be funded by the 2026 SPLOST.

Walker County’s list includes investments in county facilities, a veteran’s memorial park, new fire trucks and renovations to fire stations, additional road paving and bridge replacements, and equipment needed for public safety.

Some of the projects planned in LaFayette include enhancements to recreation and park facilities, road paving, sidewalk and trail improvements, and water and sewer infrastructure upgrades.

Chickamauga and Lookout Mountain also plan to invest heavily in recreation and improvements to city property with their portion of SPLOST, while Rossville would focus on stormwater and sewer projects, as well as renovations to its public safety building.

A complete project list is available at walkercountyga.gov/2026splost.