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Commission discusses Senate Bill 141 and potential local adoption to extend historic rehabilitation tax freeze
Summary
Staff and commission members discussed Senate Bill 141, which allows local option extensions for property-tax assessment freezes for certified rehabilitation projects; commissioners asked staff to draft a letter for county consideration.
Commissioners and staff discussed Senate Bill 141, legislation that allows local jurisdictions to extend property-tax assessment freezes for certified historic-rehabilitation projects beyond current terms. Eric Montgomery of Historic Augusta explained the existing local program freezes assessment increases for a period (historically eight to ten years) for certified rehabilitation and that SB 141 authorizes local governments to adopt a longer freeze—up to 20 years in some cases—for qualifying income-producing projects; local option details and whether owner-occupied residences qualify vary by provision.
Commissioners discussed whether the commission should prepare a recommendation or letter for the county commission to consider adopting the extended local option. The acting city attorney advised a commission member to draft proposed language for review and adoption at a future meeting; staff offered to gather data from the tax assessor on the economic impact and inventory of qualifying properties to support a formal recommendation.
The commission did not adopt a formal position at this meeting but asked staff to assemble information and for a commissioner to prepare draft language for the body to consider.
