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Committee approves resolution asking state lawmakers to pursue $10,000 homestead exemption for Columbia County homeowners
Summary
The Management Internal Services Committee approved a resolution asking the county's state delegation to file local legislation to raise the county's homestead exemption to $10,000 (including the state's $2,000), authorizing transmission to the delegation so the bill can be dropped during the current legislative session.
The Management Internal Services Committee on March 11 approved a resolution asking Columbia County’s state legislative delegation to introduce local legislation that would raise the county portion of the homestead exemption so homeowners receive a total $10,000 exemption, inclusive of the state’s existing $2,000 exemption.
The resolution, presented by Mr. Johnson, asks the county’s delegation to “prepare and drop the bill” during the current General Assembly session and authorizes county staff to transmit the committee’s request to the delegation so work can begin immediately. “What we’re asking to do is ... give our taxpayers a total of a $10,000 homestead exemption,” Mr. Johnson said during the meeting.
Why it matters: County officials said rising property values have increased tax burdens even while the county has worked to keep millage rates low. The measure would lower the taxable assessed value for qualifying homestead properties by raising the exemption; county staff described the step as a local alternative to House Bill 581, which the board previously opted out of. The resolution does not itself change tax law; if local legislation is passed by the General Assembly and signed by the governor, the measure would go before Columbia County voters in November and, if approved, would take effect Jan. 1, 2026.
Details and next steps: Mr. Johnson said the county’s proposal would add $8,000 to the state’s $2,000 exemption to reach a $10,000 total and that the school board and municipalities would have separate decisions to make because they are separate taxing authorities. He also said the county has run the required legal advertisement and asked the committee to allow him to transmit the resolution to Representative Richardson and other local legislators so the bill can be drafted and dropped within the remaining days of the session. “This resolution is simply asking our state delegation to move forward with this bill,” Mr. Johnson said.
Committee action: The committee moved the resolution to the full commission’s consent agenda for the board meeting next Tuesday; the committee motion carried and the item will appear on the commission’s consent agenda for a final vote.
Context and caveats: County presenters emphasized that local legislation still must be dropped by the state delegation and passed by the General Assembly; the delegation may alter the language. Officials repeatedly noted that the school board is a separate taxing authority and the county’s resolution would not automatically apply to school taxes. The county said the ad required for local legislation had been placed and was running the day of the committee meeting, a procedural step needed before the delegation can file a local bill.
Ending: The committee vote sends the resolution to the full commission for placement on the consent agenda next Tuesday; if the full board approves, staff will transmit the county’s request to the local delegation for drafting and filing.
