Meriwether County moves LHOST property-tax question toward ballot

Meriwether County commissioners have moved a Local Homestead Option Sales Tax, or LHOST, question toward the November ballot, and that could matter for homeowners in Manchester as well as elsewhere in the county. Manchester is one of Meriwether County’s cities, so any countywide homestead-tax change would reach local residents there too.

The idea comes from a new state framework created by SB 33, which Gov. Brian Kemp signed in May. The governor’s office said the law establishes a Local Homestead Option Sales Tax aimed at homeowner tax relief and local fiscal management.

What the proposal would do

Local reporting says the LHOST would use a one-cent sales tax to offset some property taxes for homestead owners. Under that proposal, some homeowners could see their property taxes eliminated, while others would still owe a smaller bill. School taxes would still remain.

That matters for both residents and local businesses. Homeowners want to know how much of their annual bill could change. Merchants want to know whether more of the county’s relief would be financed through sales-tax collections instead of only through property-tax changes.

How it moved in June

The Meriwether County Board of Commissioners’ June 8 agenda included a discussion of placing property-tax relief on the November ballot. By the June 23 agenda, commissioners had added a resolution request seeking legislative delegation assistance for an LHOST referendum.

Local reporting said the commission voted June 8 to put a question on replacing some property taxes with a one-cent local option sales tax before voters. It also said, if approved, the LHOST would begin collecting in January 2028.

What is still unresolved

The big remaining questions are the exact ballot language, the final mechanics of the tax, and how the county would administer the change. Until voters act, the proposal is still just that: a proposal.

For Manchester residents, the practical issue is simple. If the plan advances, would the county’s tax relief show up as a smaller property-tax bill, a different mix of taxes, or both?

Sources

• Meriwether County Board of Commissioners agenda, June 8, 2026
• Houston Home Journal report on the proposed homestead option sales tax
• Office of the Governor press release on SB 33 and the LHOST law
• Meriwether County Tax Commissioner general information page