City and county officials have made no decision on a new formula for distribution of Local Option Sales Tax (LOST) funds.

A series of meetings have been held with no compromise reached as representatives fought to keep or increase the amount now received.

Currently, the distribution for Polk is: County 54.26 percent, Cedartown 29.98 percent, Rockmart 12.30 and Aragon 3.46.

Chairman Cleve Hartley, Polk County Board of Commissioners, said his numbers show a total of 112.3 percent if everyone got the slice of the LOST pie they wanted.

“This means we have to cut more than 12 percent to get the numbers right,” he said.

This has brought a debate on which entity should get a larger portion, the same or less.

“Our stance is the same as it was the last meeting,” said Aragon Mayor Ken Suffridge.

He said a renegotiated 5.0 percent of LOST would be fair and equitable. This would be an increase of 1.54 percent of the 2002 negotiated level.

“I can’t agree to any less,” he said. “You all have the ability over the next 10 years to increase your revenue. Aragon does not.

Apparently, we are taking the hit no matter what proposals you make.”

Manager Robbie Rokovitz gave point of sale data in Cedartown. He said if this is one of the criteria considered, he believed Cedartown would get a 3.18 percent increase.

“I think it will take more negotiations,” he said.

“We are standing pat,” declared Manager Jeff Ellis, City of Rockmart.

Marshelle Thaxton, finance committee, Polk County Board of Commissioners, reminded that everyone could not get they wanted.

Thaxton referred to the “ticking clock” or 60-day deadline to agree on a new distribution formula.

“We can hold our ground and let a judge decide,” he declared.

Hartley suggested the group consider the following: County lower its total by 2 percent, Cedartown, decrease 4.1 percent, Rockmart, increase 2.85, Aragon, reduce to 1.11.

County Manager Clinton Lester emphasized that LOST is designed to relieve the tax burden of property owners.

Those attending the meeting were reminded that someone would have to go back to their boards and say there would be no increase in the distribution formula.

No decision was reached after the following proposal was put on the table: County, 56.6 percent; Rockmart, 15.15 percent; Cedartown, 25.87; and Aragon, 2.85.

Thereafter, Hartley asked that each representative return to the separate entities and determine whether or not they would accept or reject the proposal.