Early voting opens Tuesday. The Nov. 3 TSPLOST renewal keeps the 0.75% sales tax, and $44.6 million of the city's $129.2 million list goes to Hammond Drive.
Sandy Springs voters decide Nov. 3 whether to renew the city’s transportation sales tax. Early voting starts Tuesday. The city has published the projects the money would pay for, and one corridor takes almost half of the top tier.
The question renews the Transportation Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax, or TSPLOST. It is 0.75%, three-quarters of a penny on each dollar. The city says the renewal would not increase the existing tax. If voters approve it, it would fund projects through 2032, according to the city’s TSPLOST 2026 page.
What is on the list
The City Council approved the proposed list and sent it to Fulton County for the referendum. All the proposed projects add up to $129,191,942, the city says. They are split into three tiers by priority:
| Tier | Budget | When it gets built |
|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | $95,489,697 | Planned on 85% of projected revenue |
| Tier 2 | $16,851,123 | If revenue beats Tier 1 and inflation does not eat into budgets |
| Tier 3 | $16,851,122 | Only if collections reach 115% of projections |
Source: City of Sandy Springs.
Tier 1 has 12 projects. The largest is phase two of the Hammond Drive corridor improvements, at $44.6 million. The city says it would improve safety, traffic flow and walking and biking access on Hammond Drive. It covers two stretches: Roswell Road to Boylston Drive, and Barfield Road to Glenridge Drive.
The other Tier 1 projects, with the city’s budget for each:
- Capital sidewalk program, $16 million, to fill gaps in sidewalks across the city
- Roswell Road at Morgan Falls Road, $6.1 million, for safety and traffic changes at the intersection
- Bridge program, $5 million, to improve and replace bridges
- Holcomb Bridge Road multi-use path, $4.3 million, along the west side of the road
- Roswell Road safety project, $4 million, for concept and design work from Carpenter Drive to Hammond Drive
- Mid-block crossing program, $4 million, for crosswalks between intersections
- Peachtree Dunwoody Road at Johnson Ferry Road, $3,589,697, to build intersection improvements
- Glenridge Connector at Johnson Ferry Road, $3.3 million, to design the intersection and buy right of way
- Peachtree Dunwoody Road corridor, $2 million, for a concept from Mount Vernon Highway to Spalding Drive
- Riverside Drive at Heards Ferry Road, $1.5 million, to design changes from I-285 to River Valley Drive
- Northside Drive at I-285, $1.1 million, for a concept between Interstate North Parkway and New Northside Drive
Several of these are design or concept money only. Building them would need more funding later.
Tier 2 would pay to build the Glenridge Connector intersection designed in Tier 1, at $3,951,123. It also has $4.3 million each for traffic signal technology, intersection work and more sidewalks. Tier 3 is a single $16,851,122 access management program, which the city says would increase safety and improve traffic operations.
What the tax has paid for so far
Voters first approved TSPLOST in November 2016 and renewed it in November 2021, the city’s TSPLOST page says. About $97.2 million in TSPLOST projects have been completed in Sandy Springs, according to the city’s projects page.
That page lists the rebuilt Johnson Ferry Road and Mount Vernon Highway intersection near Roswell Road. The city says the tax has also paid for more than 60,000 linear feet of sidewalk. That is more than 11 miles, by our calculation. Fulton County keeps a project-by-project list that can be filtered for Sandy Springs.
The current collection period runs through March 31, 2027, the city said when the 2021 renewal went on the ballot.
Who pays
Anyone who buys taxable goods or services in Fulton County outside the Atlanta city limits pays the tax. That includes visitors and businesses, the city’s TSPLOST questions page says.
It is not a property tax. Items that Georgia law exempts from sales tax are exempt from TSPLOST too. The city’s separate property tax hearings start Oct. 20; our property taxes guide has the details.
What could change
The city says project scopes, schedules and costs can change after the vote. Engineering, right of way, utilities and construction prices can all move them. If collections fall short, the city says it would adjust schedules or scopes. If they run ahead, more projects could move up.
Some projects may also need federal, state or grant money on top of TSPLOST.
What it means for you
- The vote is a renewal. A yes keeps the 0.75% rate in place for five more years. The city says it does not add a new tax.
- Early voting runs Tuesday, Oct. 13, through Friday, Oct. 30. There are three early voting sites in Sandy Springs, including the Sandy Springs Library. Our voting guide has the sites, hours and ID rules.
- There is a second city question. It asks whether to give the city redevelopment powers. The city says the two are separate and neither approves the other.
- If you drive Hammond Drive, Roswell Road or Johnson Ferry Road, most of the Tier 1 money is aimed at your route. Current work is on our road construction page.
- Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3, with polls open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
We will report the result from the Fulton County elections office after the polls close.
Frequently asked questions
Does the Sandy Springs TSPLOST renewal raise the sales tax?
No. The city says the Nov. 3, 2026, question renews the existing 0.75% transportation sales tax for another five years. It is not an additional tax.
What is the biggest project on the Sandy Springs TSPLOST 2026 list?
Phase two of the Hammond Drive corridor improvements, at $44.6 million, out of $95.5 million in Tier 1 projects.
Is TSPLOST paid through property taxes?
No. It is a sales tax on taxable purchases in Fulton County outside Atlanta. Items exempt from sales tax under Georgia law are also exempt from TSPLOST.
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