LOST Negotiations Lose Ground

Negotiations between the Fannin County Board of Commissioners and Blue Ridge City Council have ended at a stand still. The decision of how much of the Local Option Sales Tax, or LOST, received by the city and the county will be determined by a Superior Court judge.

Initially, the commissioners agreed to allow the city to receive just over 10% but the city rejected the offer and received a second offer of 12.25%. During the Friday December 28th negotiations, Blue Ridge City Council members felt Blue Ridge should receive more. Consultation obtained by the city stated that according to their calculations, the city should receive 30% of the LOST. The city countered 28.85% and Mayor Donna Whitener made a final offer of 20.5%. The BOC rejected this offer and negotiations ended.

FYN will continue to provide the latest information on the LOST distribution.