Homeowners will get relief from their fast-rising property tax bills and may even see tax cuts if Gov. Brian Kemp signs Senate Bill 33 into law. But many other constituencies stand to lose, including one that cannot vote: children in public schools.
Black landowners from a Georgia island community founded by freed slaves are fighting their latest property dispute with local officials at the ballot box. Voters in coastal McIntosh County were deciding a referendum Tuesday that seeks to override county commissioner's 2023 decision to double the size of homes allowed in Sapelo Island's tiny Hogg Hummock community.
Voters approved tax hikes to help fund child care for low-income families in the Austin, Texas, and Sonoma County, Calif. A similar measure in St. Paul, Minn., failed.
The Walthourville City Council voted at a March 18 called meeting to advertise its first-ever property tax, the next step toward approving the new levy. The tax would not go into effect this year.
Property tax rates could drop in some Georgia school districts under a House plan. It would let districts with low property wealth continue to qualify for state aid even if they decrease property tax rates.
Some Georgia lawmakers are looking for ways to provide relief from property taxes. The proposals are coming as increases in home values have caused taxes to rise.
