Gwinnett board unanimously adopts resolution to opt out of House Bill 581 homestead cap

The Gwinnett County Board of Education voted unanimously to adopt a resolution opting the district out of the statewide adjusted-base-year ad valorem homestead exemption established by House Bill 581, district leaders said during the third required public hearing on the measure.

Board and district officials said the opt-out preserves local control of property-tax revenue used for Gwinnett County Public Schools and would protect programs and credit ratings that the district said rely on that revenue. Opponents at the hearing urged the board to honor the November 2024 voter approval of HB 581 and called for spending cuts and audits instead.

House Bill 581 capped homestead exemptions at the rate of inflation and included an opt-out process for local governments and school boards, said Dr. David Goley, the district's legislative and educational policy administrator. “They settled on provisions for House Bill 581 that capped the homestead exemption at inflation with an opt out provision,” Goley said, summarizing how the bill was negotiated and enacted during the 2024 legislative session and made effective in…