Public hears arguments to expand Marietta homestead acreage from 1 to 10 acres; council to vote Feb. 25

Marietta opened a second public hearing to receive comment on whether to change the city’s homestead-exemption annexation limit, currently set at one acre, and whether it should be increased to 10 acres like the county.

Mark Kirk, a longtime Marietta resident who said his property is at the western city boundary on Burn Hickory Road, told the council he supports raising the exemption limit and argued the change would encourage property owners to annex into the city and increase school enrollment over the long term. Kirk described multiple past annexations that added lots to the city and said allowing larger exempt acreage for homeowners over age 62 would make annexation more attractive.

Larry Wills, another resident, urged caution on unlimited acreage and raised appraisal and equity concerns, saying "if you've had an economics course in real estate, you know that lot sizes have a great deal of influence on the value of an appraisal for tax purposes." Wills proposed considering a special taxing district or transition-area tax that could preserve low-density buffers around the nearby national park while addressing school-revenue impacts.

Council members and staff reminded the public of charter limits and the separate role of the Marietta City School System. One council member noted the school system would have to recommend changes affecting school taxes before the council could reduce school millage; staff reiterated the city does not set school millage. The hearing record will remain open through the next required meeting; the council scheduled a final vote for Feb. 25 at 4:45 p.m.

No ordinance was adopted at the hearing. Comments on both sides of the question — parity with county practice and concerns about revenue and appraisal equity — were entered into the record for council consideration.