Local government officials will meet tonight to strategize about a new special purpose local option sales tax, or SPLOST VII, that is likely to come up for a ballot referendum this fall. The Joint Municipal Association meeting will include representatives from Hall County, Gainesville, Braselton, Buford, Clermont, Flowery Branch, Gillsville, Lula and Oakwood. Officials are expected to lay out the calendar for public hearings on SPLOST VII and begin identifying what projects could be funded through an extension of the tax.