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Ware County holds public hearing on whether to opt out of HB 581 homestead exemption
Summary
The Ware County Board of Commissioners held a Feb. 6, 2025 public hearing to explain HB 581, a state measure creating a statewide adjusted base-year homestead exemption, and to receive public comment on whether Ware should opt out. Tax Commissioner Roger Collins said opting out would preserve existing local freezes and would not itself raise taxes; no decision was made.
WAYCROSS, Ga. — The Ware County Board of Commissioners held a public hearing Thursday evening on whether the county should opt out of House Bill 581, the state measure that would create a statewide adjusted base‑year ad valorem homestead exemption.
Tax Commissioner Roger Collins explained to the board and members of the public that HB 581 would provide a uniform, statewide homestead exemption for counties that do not already have local freezes. Collins told the hearing that Ware County is different from many neighbors because the county, the City of Waycross and the Board of Education each have freeze provisions already in place. Collins said the county’s freeze will continue to supersede the state freeze and that "opting out will not increase anyone's taxes." He also noted that opting out would not prevent the county from pursuing a Floating Local Option Sales Tax (FLOST).
Several residents spoke during the hearing. Jim Brown said a recent property revaluation caused his homestead exemption to be dropped and that it was expected to be added back for 2025. Harry Davis asked how the freeze and homestead exemption interact; Commissioner Jon Tindall explained that a homeowner must have a homestead exemption to qualify for a freeze, that the freeze typically applies to a residence and the surrounding five acres, and that a property’s taxable value changes when ownership transfers. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it," resident Terry Miles said as he described being undecided about opting out; Tindall told the audience that opting out is the way to keep existing freezes in place without hiring more assessor staff or buying new equipment.
Brown asked whether residents 65 and older could be exempt from school taxes. Collins replied that changes to school tax exemptions would require action by the Board of Education and state lawmakers. Collins and others referenced other counties’ approaches: Wayne County was cited as having an age-based exemption, and the minutes note a previously proposed Ware County age-and-income exemption with a combined household income threshold of $25,000. County Manager James Shubert and County Clerk Melinda Brooks said they would consult with the county attorney and with the Association County Commissioners of Georgia (ACCG) about next steps.
Collins described technical implications of remaining in the state exemption program: assessors would need to track an additional dollar amount per property if the county opted in. He also summarized how revaluations that sharply raise market values can affect taxable amounts and reiterated that any increase in taxes would come from a change to the millage rate rather than from opting out itself. The county manager also announced that Ware County’s 2025 LMIG application was approved by the Georgia Department of Transportation.
No formal vote on opting out of HB 581 occurred at the hearing. Commissioner Leonard Burse moved to close the public hearing; Commissioner Jon Tindall seconded, and the motion passed unanimously. The hearing closed at 7:01 p.m. County staff indicated they would follow up with the county attorney and ACCG on the process for any further local or school‑tax exemptions or legislative requests.
