White County voters resoundingly approved a new Floating Local Option Sales Tax (FLOST) to lower property taxes, giving the measure nearly 76% support.
According to unofficial results, 3,322 voters (75.8%) backed the referendum, while 1,058 voters (24.16%) opposed it.
The vote secures a funding stream aimed exclusively at reducing property taxes for White County homeowners. Local officials estimate the tax will bring significant relief. During the informational campaign leading up to the vote, Cleveland Mayor Josh Turner told residents that voter approval could allow city property owners to see a zero millage rate, while the county could reduce its millage rate by four mills.
Turner noted that the cut applies only to the county portion of tax bills because the White County Board of Education opted out of the tax-reduction provision.
The new sales tax will be collected beginning January 1, 2026, but the actual property tax relief will not be implemented until 2027, after the first year of sales tax collections.
