Rockdale public hearing on HB 581 draws large turnout; board tables final vote to continue hearings

Rockdale County Board of Education members heard extensive public comment and a district financial briefing Tuesday evening during the second of three required public hearings on House Bill 581, and then voted to table any final resolution so the public may continue to speak.

The board’s chief financial officer, Joy Smith, told the board HB 581 caps annual assessed-value increases for homestead properties at the prior year’s inflation rate and that local governments have until March 1, 2025, to opt out. Smith presented examples showing a homeowner with a 2024 fair-market value of $150,000 would see a $6,000 exemption and an annual tax savings of about $120; a $420,000 house would see a $16,800 exemption and $336 annual savings. Smith said Rockdale Public Schools could lose an estimated $61,700,000 in revenue over five years if the district remains subject to HB 581 and highlighted rising employer and benefit costs, including a cited increase in starting teacher total cost from about $63,000 to $85,000 in…