Newton County to hold public hearings on HB 581 floating homestead exemption after revenue briefing

Newton County commissioners said they will schedule three public hearings on House Bill 581 after a work session briefing on Jan. 16, 2025 that laid out how the law’s new floating homestead exemption could reduce county property‑tax revenue and shift costs to non‑homestead taxpayers.

Attorney Aaron Myers of Gerard & Davis told the Board of Commissioners the law creates “a statewide floating homestead exemption that's going to apply to all homestead property in the state of Georgia unless the local governments opt out.” He recommended the county hold three public hearings so residents can understand trade‑offs before the board decides whether to opt out.

The nut graf: HB 581 freezes the taxable value of owner‑occupied homes (subject to limited annual growth), which benefits long‑term homeowners but reduces the residential tax digest growth county officials use to fund services. County staff presented numerical scenarios showing multi‑million‑dollar shortfalls to county, city and school revenues if the county does nothing and the exemption takes effect.

Chief Appraiser Marty Kennard presented modeled revenue impacts. “What you're looking at is a $17,000,000 loss in…