A second public hearing about HB 581 and Gilmer County brought pushback against a state representative and an endorsement from the sheriff.
In particular, Gilmer County Chair Charlie Paris took issue with several comments made by State Senator Steve Gooch, who represents the 51st Senate District, which includes Gilmer County.
Sen. Gooch reproached county, city and school board members who were considering opting out of HB 581.
“I have a couple of bones to pick with him as well,” Paris said.
He said the tone of the interview was the state legislature has to protect the citizens from elected county government.
In the past, Paris said Gilmer County has the third lowest millage rate in the state. Recently, he said he went through the millage rates for all Georgia counties, which are listed on the Georgia Department of Revenue’s website.
Using rates for 2023, Paris revised his claim to 9th lowest millage in the state of Georgia.
“To me that doesn’t equate to ‘you have to be protected from us,’” he said.
Paris said a board of commissioners can be voted out in two to four years if the local citizens don’t agree with them.
Gilmer County only has part of the vote on two state representatives. There is no way the county can bring about change at the state level if they disagree with a decision.
Paris said he also disagreed with Sen. Gooch’s assertion that the county can raise taxes through the back door, by allowing the millage rate to stay the same while property assessments rise.
State law requires a rollback rate to be calculated, which maintains county revenue at roughly the same amount as the previous year. If a county keeps the millage rate anywhere above the rollback rate, it must be advertised as a tax increase and public hearings must be held.
Last year, the county actually kept the millage rate the same for the first time in several years.
“There wasn’t anything back door about it,” Paris said.
Another issue Paris has with HB 581 is it usurps home rule and allows the state to dictate to counties without recourse.
If local governments don’t opt out of the bill by the end of February, they are subject to the bill forever despite whatever changes are made in the future.
Paris said this alone is a reason to opt out of the bill.
Gilmer County currently offers a floating homestead exemption which is better than the one presented in HB 581. It has been in place since 2006. The Gilmer County exemption does not allow for incremental increases like HB 581 does.
Paris said the only thing the county cannot provide to voters is the option to enact a FLOST, a one cent sales tax to offset property taxes.
It would be allowed under the bill.
Paris said he is in favor of the FLOST, but wondered why counties are not allowed to offset property taxes with sales tax anyway.
“If it’s such a good idea, why can’t we do it on our own?” he asked.
Gilmer County’s floating exemption and the school board’s 65 and over exemption would not be affected if the county opts out of HB 581, he reiterated.
Paris spent 45 minutes to an hour answering questions following his opening statements.
Gilmer County Sheriff Stacy Nicholson said he thinks of Sen. Gooch as a friend and supports him, but in this case, he supports the decision-making at the county level.
By way of explanation, he said when he was president of the state sheriff’s association, he led the way in the fight against hemp. For a long time, the association had the fight won. At the last minute, a phone call changed the final vote tally.
Nicholson said he has never lost a fight at the county level because of a late night phone call, but he has at the state level.
State leaders think they know what is best for the counties, but they do not always, he said. Nicholson said he trusts the commissioners to make the best decision for the county.
Gilmer County’s final public hearing on HB 581 will be held Thursday, Feb. 6, in the commissioner’s conference room at 9 a.m.