DeKalb County’s Democratic and Republican parties announced their support of the Public Safety Sales Tax Referendum on Friday.

Eileen Dubin, Democratic Party chairwoman, said she could not remember the last time the two parties had agreed on public policy.

Dubin and Republican Party chairwoman Mary Simons held a joint press conference about their endorsement of the referendum at the DeKalb County Jail.

The referendum proposes a 0.5 percent increase in the county sales tax to fund a new jail facility and mental health programs to divert people from jail.

DeKalb County Sheriff Roger Scott said the increase would bring the tax rate to 6.75 percent. The new rate would put DeKalb County on par with neighboring counties’ rates.

Dubin said the Democratic Party supported the referendum because of the proposed mental health counseling that would help people instead of sending them to jail.

“We want to be able to give those people a second chance,” Dubin said.

Supporting the referendum was not an easy decision for conservative Republicans to make.

“Republicans don’t like tax increases,” Simons said.

Republicans support the referendum because of Scott’s reports of dangerous overcrowding at the county jail, she said.

Ninety-five percent of Republican representatives from the county’s 82 precincts approved the referendum, Simons said.

Democratic representatives also discussed and voted on the referendum.

A majority of the 82 precinct Democratic representatives approved the referendum, Dubin said.

Another press conference will be held at 11:30 a.m. Thursday in the Gathertorium of the Legislative Center. Trade groups and the county’s mayors will announce their support of the referendum.