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Hart County officials weigh opting out of Georgia House Bill 851 amid revenue, implementation concerns
Summary
County staff presented modeling that projects multimillion-dollar revenue impacts from House Bill 851and commissioners discussed opting out, uncertainty from the Georgia Department of Revenue and operational challenges for the tax assessor's office.
Hart County officials and staff discussed whether to opt out of provisions of Georgia House Bill 851, saying the law's homestead freeze and related changes could reduce county revenue, complicate tax assessment work and require higher millage rates to maintain current services.
County staff presented modeled scenarios showing revenue declines under the bill and explained mechanics of the proposed homestead freeze and base-year rules. Cheryl, a county staff member, told commissioners that the county's earlier calculations were updated after receiving new information the same day. She said the revised numbers showed higher revenue loss under the most recent changes.
Why it matters: County officials said the shortfall could be large enough to require raising the county millage rate to recover operating revenue. Managers also warned the Department of Revenue (DOR) has not yet issued definitive guidance, leaving county assessors unclear about how to apply the law to…
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