It’s official, the Gilmer County School System and the city of Ellijay have decided to opt out of HB 581.
HB 581, also known as the Save Our Homes Act, establishes a statewide, “floating” homestead exemption that allows the assessment on properties to only rise annually at the rate of inflation. Gilmer County already has a homestead exemption in place.
Any local government wishing not to participate in HB 581 can opt out. Previously, municipalities only had until March 1 to make that decision, but a new bill on the table in the legislature would allow four years to opt out.
The Gilmer Board of Commissioners has tabled making the decision to opt out, while the city of East Ellijay plans to once their three public hearings are completed by tonight.
During the public hearings, superintendent Dr. Brian Ridley shared GCSS’s reasoning, where he said, “If we want issues of local taxation to be decided by representatives elected by and accountable to local people, we must opt out.”
Ridley also pointed to GCSS having the 7th lowest school millage rate in the state and the Board of Education rolling back its millage rate for the last eight years, as reasons for taxpayers not to be concerned over their decision.
Around 30 percent of homesteaded property already doesn’t pay school tax because of the 65 and over exemption in place. Ridley shared this statistic during the public hearings to further hone in on why there is no point for a new exemption.
Ellijay city council voted to opt out of the bill at their monthly meeting on Monday, following their third and final public hearing where no one spoke for or against the decision.
Now that both boards have voted to opt out, they will have to pass resolutions and file them with the Secretary of State.