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Chamblee council unanimously adopts resolution opposing HB 1116
Summary
On March 17, the Chamblee City Council unanimously approved a resolution urging the Georgia General Assembly to slow work on House Bill 1116, citing lack of a local financial feasibility study and potential threats to municipal home rule and DeKalb County sales-tax revenue.
The Chamblee City Council on March 17 adopted a resolution formally opposing House Bill 1116, a state legislative proposal that council members said would cap annual local property tax revenue and create a local homestead option sales tax without adequate analysis.
Councilmember Elmer Vyfe, presenting the resolution, said the city lacks an independent financial feasibility study on the bill’s local effects and warned of risks to DeKalb County revenue streams such as SPLOST. "It’s gonna create a lot of complications, confusion, and, ultimately, it’s a threat to home rule for cities and even the counties to be able to determine what is the appropriate tax rate for their communities," Vyfe said.
Councilmember Jimmy First said the measure, framed as an affordability fix, would instead shift tax burdens. "What this is is a shell game," First said. "It’s gonna make a progressive tax and making it regressive. You’ll still be paying for these taxes through sales tax. But sales tax is something we can't plan on. We can plan on property tax."
A motion to accept the resolution was made, seconded and approved unanimously. The resolution asks the General Assembly to engage municipalities and perform further research into local impacts before advancing the bill. Council did not direct staff to pursue additional study beyond the formal resolution; the item was recorded as adopted and will be transmitted as the city’s formal position.
