Peachtree City council members indicated consensus to opt in to HB 581, the statewide measure that includes a floating homestead exemption, after staff and council reviewed public feedback and technical details at a work session.

City staffer Justin Strickland told the council the city held a town hall on Dec. 17 that drew about 40 in-person attendees and additional online viewers and that staff needs direction ahead of a March 1 deadline to opt out if the council chooses that path. "If we do nothing, we're automatically opted in," Justin said during the meeting. "If you all have a taste to opt out ... we really need to start lining things up to comply with how we do that." (Justin Strickland, staff.)

Why it matters: HB 581 contains two related pieces: a homestead-exemption provision and a county-level flexible local option sales tax (FLOST) mechanism. Council members repeatedly noted they wanted to respect the will of voters who approved the measure, but they expressed concern about the potential revenue loss from the FLOST portion and the city's options for replacing revenue if needed.

Discussion highlights: Council members asked whether other municipalities in Fayette County had signaled positions (none had publicly committed at that time except the Fayette County Board of Education) and whether opting out late without required public hearings could create a legal problem. One council member said: "If there's a late decision to opt out and we haven't done the requirements all along for the public hearings, then that's gonna put us in a bad position." The mayor noted county commissioners would discuss the matter at their meeting on the ninth and that the city likely had time to respond depending on the county's decision.

Council members repeatedly separated the two parts of HB 581. Several members said they were comfortable opting in to the homestead relief portion but were cautious about committing to the county sales-tax (FLOST) mechanism without further study. As one council member said: "At this point, I'm in on the homestead portion, but not yet in on the FLOST portion." (Council comments summarized.)

Next steps: Council indicated consensus to remain opted in at the work session but did not take a formal, recorded vote. Staff said additional analysis will be needed about revenue impacts, potential local alternatives (for example, a T-SPLOST or other local sales-tax options), and required public hearings if council later decides to opt out.

Context and limits: Staff emphasized the March 1 statutory timeline for opt-out action and that revenue-loss estimates grow over time. Several council members requested more detail on where lost revenue would be made up and suggested further outreach and analysis before making any final policy or budget decisions.