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Meriwether County commissioners opt out of state homestead exemption, authorize chair to certify paperwork to secretary of state
Summary
At a Feb. 20 special call meeting, the Meriwether County Board of Commissioners adopted a resolution to opt out of the statewide homestead exemption created by OCGA 48-5-44.2 and authorized the chairman to deliver a compliance letter and exhibits to the Georgia Secretary of State before the March 1, 2025 deadline.
Meriwether County Board of Commissioners voted on Feb. 20, 2025, to adopt a resolution electing to opt out of the statewide homestead exemption enacted by OCGA 48-5-44.2 and directed the county clerk to provide a certified copy of the executed resolution to the Georgia Secretary of State by March 1, 2025. The board also authorized the chairman to sign and deliver a letter and supporting exhibits showing compliance with the law.
The resolution, read into the record by the chairman, states that the county “hereby opts out of the homestead exemption otherwise granted by OCGA 48-5-44.2.” The document says the board complied with procedural steps required by the statute, including holding at least three public meetings on the intent to opt out, placing timely advertisement in a newspaper of general circulation and on the county website, and issuing a press release to local media.
Board members moved and seconded the resolution during the special call meeting; the motion was approved. The transcript does not record a roll-call vote or individual vote tallies for the resolution. Separately, the board voted to authorize the chairman to sign a cover letter and a set of exhibits (identified in the meeting as exhibits A, B1, B2, B3, C, D, and E) that staff will hand-deliver to the Georgia Secretary of State to document the county’s compliance with the opt-out requirements. That authorization also passed by motion and second; the meeting minutes record the chair’s authorization as approved without a recorded roll-call tally.
Commissioners discussed no substantive amendments to the resolution text during the meeting transcript; staff indicated the letter and exhibits would be hand-delivered to the Secretary of State by county staff. The resolution states it “shall become effective upon its approval by the Board of Commissioners,” and directs the county clerk to provide a certified copy to the Secretary of State by the statutory deadline of March 1, 2025.
The actions affect eligibility for the statewide homestead exemption for ad valorem taxes created by the statute referenced (OCGA 48-5-44.2). The meeting record does not include estimates of how many property owners in Meriwether County would be affected, nor does it include a recorded vote tally showing which commissioners voted for or against the resolution. The board’s next regular meeting was scheduled for Feb. 25, 2025, at 6 p.m.; the resolution documentation must be submitted to the Secretary of State by March 1, 2025.
The transcript excerpts of the resolution and the board’s motions are included in the official minutes and will be part of the certified packet forwarded to the Secretary of State.
