Stonecrest holds second public hearing on whether to opt out of stateHouse Bill 581

Stonecrest held a second public hearing Feb. 10 on whether the city should opt out of House Bill 581, a recently enacted state measure that creates a statewide floating homestead exemption tied to inflation and changes how rollback rates and public notices operate.

City officials said the decision affects only Stonecrest's small portion of the overall property tax bill and reiterated that the council has not made a final decision. "The total tax bill is $3,474. The Stonecrest portion of it is only $18.34," said Ed Walls, the council's financial advisor. "Your action of whether to stay in or opt out only affects you, only affects Stonecrest." The council opened the hearing and closed it at the same meeting; the final vote is scheduled for Feb. 24 after a required third public hearing.

Why it matters: Supporters and critics framed the choice as a tradeoff between immediate, modest homeowner savings and long-term local control over tax policy and community growth. City leaders said Stonecrest's local homestead exemptions and authority would remain available if the council opts out, while proponents of remaining opted in…