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Clayton County To Receive Majority Of State Grant To Offset Jet Fuel Taxes

June 5th, 2018

The Delta Air Lines Foundation stepped in to cover the school district’s share of the revenue through 2019, which is quickly coming to an end.

David Goldman / Associated Press

Georgia will give $28 million in grants to communities that rely on revenues they’ll lose when the state stops requiring the collection of jet fuel sales taxes.

The majority of that money will go to Clayton County. It will get close to $27 million dollars from the state.

That’s to offset money the county would have received from taxes on jet fuel collected at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.

Gov. Nathan Deal announced the grants Monday, just a few days after the Georgia Department of Revenue announced it would stop collecting those taxes as of July 1 to comply with federal regulations.

The Federal Aviation Administration has said that jet fuel tax revenues should go only to airports and aviation.

Clayton County’s school district relies heavily on the funds. Earlier this year, the system said jet fuel taxes comprised about one-fifth of its budget.

As the state stops collecting those taxes, Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines said it would step in to help the school district offset the pending revenue losses.

All these moves happen just a few months after state lawmakers killed a state jet fuel tax break. That after Delta ended a discount program for National Rifle Association members.

Other counties around the state will get the grants, though the largest one will go to Clayton County. All the grants will be overseen by the Georgia Department of Community Affairs.