Walton County staff to hold public meetings after state homestead-exemption law passed

Walton County’s administration told commissioners that state legislation passed in 2024 will require local action and public outreach after the county’s existing homestead-exemption structure made it ineligible to accept the statewide change.

County Manager (staff member) told the board that House Bill 581, which enacted a statewide homestead exemption limiting increases in taxable value for owner-occupied homes to the prior year’s inflation rate, also allows local governments to “elect to opt out” so the state exemption will not apply in jurisdictions that already have more favorable local homestead provisions. The county manager said Walton County voters adopted a local homestead exemption by referendum in 2002 and many property owners have valuations “locked in”…