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Commission to hold three public hearings on House Bill 581; advertisement will note option to opt out
Summary
The commission voted to schedule three public hearings to explain and seek public input on House Bill 581. The hearings must be advertised with the statutory language that would allow the commission to opt out of the floating homestead exemption; staff will also run public information efforts.
The Augusta Commission voted to proceed with three public hearings to inform residents and collect public comment on House Bill 581, the state law that changes how some homestead exemptions and a floating local option sales tax (FLOST) interact with local millage rates.
City Administrator Tamika Allen told the commission that the hearings must be advertised with the statutory language required for a jurisdiction that may opt out of the new homestead-exemption mechanism. The advertisement requirement does not commit the commission to opt out; rather, the statute requires that the notice be published in case the governing body later votes to opt out before the statutory deadline.
Interim Finance Director Tim Schrader and Tax Assessor Scott Rountree explained technical impacts: opting in preserves the current structure; opting out would require the city to advertise and potentially adopt a rollback in the millage or implement a FLOST (floating local option sales tax) to offset exemptions. Schrader said the first‑year revenue impact to Augusta was projected as nominal, roughly a half‑million dollars in initial projected effect, and noted that a FLOST increase could be between 0.05% and 1.0% depending on statutory limits and local choices; the law and local fiscal decisions determine whether additional sales-tax revenue would reduce or maintain property-tax collections.
Commissioners asked that at least one hearing be held outside the municipal building to improve accessibility; staff agreed locations could include Diamond Lakes and Warren Road. The commission also directed the administrator to run public information (PSA) messaging alongside the statutorily required advertisement so residents understand the hearings are informational and that the final decision on opt‑out would be made by the governing body before the March 1 deadline. The motion to schedule the hearings and advertise with the opt‑out language, and to direct staff to provide public outreach, passed unanimously.
