09/16/2024
Post from UC resident Wesley Hopgood:
"Owners of homestead properties (6500 recorded residences with homestead exemption in Union County GA) again face assessment, valuations, and taxation concerns over local personal residential property! This time an amendment to Georgia’s Constitution is in play but the county, city, and school board COULD choose to ignore what the citizens want!
House Bill 581 as signed into law has an effective date of Jan 1, 2025, ONLY IF an amendment to the Georgia Constitution passes on the November 2024 General Election Ballot as a State-wide Referendum; it will require a “yes” vote to approve.
Its major goal is to provide property tax relief only to properties that meet homestead exemption requirement. The relief, however, is OPTIONAL at the taxing authority level - county, city and school board level.
Perhaps we should “VOTE NO to SEND A CLEAR AND VERY LOUD MESSAGE” to our elected officials at both the state and local levels. Why do I say this? Georgia’s Governor and General Assembly should NOT pass and sign legislation that allows County, Cities, and School Boards at their pleasure to circumvent the intent of the state law!
Voting ‘YES’ puts the responsibility on US as homestead property owners to make sure our local Commissioner, Mayor and School Board members HEAR us when we say WE need property tax relief and that it is THEIR responsibility to listen to US and to implement the provision of HB-581 that gives property tax relief to homesteads!!!!!!! If they don’t LISTEN, tell your friends and family and vote them out of office!
The major provision of HB-581, if amended into the GA Constitution by ‘YES’ vote in November, is a cap on annual increases in the assessed value of homestead property to a rate of inflation rate to be determined by the State Commissioner of Revenue. This cap on assessed value of your homestead property is in play, however, only if the local governing bodies DON’T OPT OUT. Local governments may opt out of the homestead exemption through the adoption of a resolution by March 1, 2025, after conducting three public hearings and placing an advertisement in both the local newspaper and on the local government's (county, city, school board) website. Our county, city and school board governing bodies are probably deciding NOW whether they intend OPT OUT in the event the Constitutional Amendment passes – which it is anticipated to do. Ask, “Why would they opt out?”
Also, approval of this Constitutional Amendment will authorize a new LOCAL special sales and use tax aimed at providing property tax relief, subject to local referendum approval and intergovernmental agreements.
There are also other minor changes in the Bill including the appeals process.
For more detail, go to these active links:
https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/legislation/document/20232024/229562,
HB 581, Economic Analysis Revisions (gacities.com)
Navigating Georgia's New Property Tax Legislation: HB 581 and the Impact on School Districts | Parker Poe
This Tax Bill should be very good for the permanent residents of Union County, however….
1. In 2020 Union County Sole Commissioner and the Mayor for the City of Blairsville, created and financed what is functioning as a separate branch of Government know as Union County/Blairsville City Chamber of Commerce whose major purpose has been to change the rural nature of the County into tourist destination with attributes similar to an urban/suburban metropolis!
This was accomplished by worldwide advertising with the Chamber inviting the world to come to Blairsville/Union County because “We Have It All” - available property, services, and amenities!
Did they come? They came with plenty of money looking to invest in property, vacation resorts and entertainment. Boy did they get a surprise! Their promise of Union County becoming a Gatlinburg 2.0 began to slowly dissipate, as they found themselves left with some very expensive real estate!
How did this work out for permanent residents of Union County? Union County has 16,000 homesteads with only 6500 homesteads qualifying homestead exemptions from property tax. The remaining 9500 homesteads belong to investors or second homeowners with their permanent residences elsewhere.
2. Then T-SPLOST came along when the sole county commissioner and ACCOG tried to convince the residents 1% tax would be spent only in the county, which was not true under state law. You chose AGAINST T-SPLOST!
3. Although funds have been readily available from non-T-SPLOST sources the county commissioner neglected to maintain our bridges, while wastefully spending tax funds on projects to enhance tourism. He also misstated when he found out about the poor condition of bridges. As early as August 2021 an open records request revealed that in August 2021 – 3 years ago - GDOT transmitted a report of a review they conducted in which several of our county’s bridges were cited as in ‘poor condition’. Now taxpayers we are facing expensive repairs/replacements due to his negligence.
Wesley Hopgood"
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