Hall officials look at 'leaky sales tax bucket'

GAINESVILLE - Hall County's city officials, county commissioners, school board members and local legislators met Monday in at the Georgia Mountains Center in Gainesville to look at a 'leaky bucket'... that bucket pours out millions of sales tax revenue that does not come back to local cities and counties.

Sales Tax study presenter Frank Norton estimated that bucket has leaked $25-million in tax revenue from sales generated in Hall County and its cities in three major categories; motor vehicles, food and gasoline.

Norton, owner of the Norton Real Estate in Gainesville, is known for his economic consulting and forecasting and said the state revenue department could start with more audits on car sales. He along with Assistant Hall County Administrator Phil Sutton conducted the sales tax study that revealed the lost sales tax revenue.

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