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Gordon County administrator says commissioners not planning to opt out of HB 581; referendum on local sales tax remains possible
Summary
County Administrator Jim Ledbetter told commissioners the county is not planning to opt out of House Bill 581 but voters could see a referendum to replace some property tax with a local option sales tax; he warned parts of the law may limit future revenue growth to CPI increases.
Gordon County Administrator Jim Ledbetter told the Board of Commissioners that the county is not planning to opt out of House Bill 581 and that residents should not expect an opt‑out decision from county leadership.
Ledbetter said the new law creates a pathway for a referendum allowing voters to replace some property tax revenue with a local option sales tax. "This is a revolutionary chance that we have to reset a good bit of the way that we're taxed in Gordon County," Ledbetter said, adding that the measure could produce "a fairly significant reduction in the ad valorem tax that property owners would pay."
Ledbetter said he has received questions about school districts exercising opt‑out authority and clarified that "we are not the school district. What they do does not control what we do." He said he does not plan to recommend an opt out by the county board.
The administrator said county staff and commissioners have met with city mayors and will meet again to review the local implications. He cautioned that "there's some parts of the law I didn't like, the kind of handcuff us by limiting us to consumer price index growth," and said the CPI limit will constrain future revenue growth for services funded by the local option sales tax.
Ledbetter said county leaders are preparing information for the public and indicated the board will continue reviewing the law and its local application. He did not provide a timeline for a referendum or legislative next steps.
No formal direction to staff or vote on action was recorded during the meeting; Ledbetter said only that he was "not planning on recommending an opt out," and commissioners did not move to adopt a formal position on the record.
