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City officials outline how House Bill 566 will change property tax notices; assessor says homestead protections unchanged
Summary
At a required taxpayer bill‑of‑rights hearing, Columbus officials and the county chief tax assessor explained the new notice layout and appeal rules under House Bill 566, emphasizing that homeowners with frozen homestead assessments should not see tax increases while the county digest rises.
Columbus city officials held the second of three required taxpayer bill‑of‑rights hearings on June 2 to explain how House Bill 566 will change the notice of assessment residents receive this year.
Chief tax assessor Suzanne Widenhouse told the council and the public that the new notice, redesigned by the General Assembly and the Department of Revenue, will carry a printed explanatory back page and will no longer include an estimated‑tax line that taxpayers have seen in prior years. She said the appeal deadline is 45 days from the mailing date and that the notices will go to the owner of record as of Jan. 1.
"House Bill 566 passed by the General Assembly . . . changes the notice of assessment rather dramatically," Widenhouse said, and walked through the notice boxes that list last year’s value, current value, acreage, exemption and preferential assessment information, and the reason for any value change.
City staff and the city attorney repeated a point they have made in previous years: because the mayor’s recommended FY27 millage rate is unchanged, homeowners with a frozen homestead assessment and no significant improvements should not see an increase in their actual tax bill even though the county’s digest overall is up. "If you have a homestead exemption in Columbus with a frozen homestead assessment, your taxes should not increase," the city attorney said.
Widenhouse also explained two changes that could affect homeowners: (1) penalties are now available for people who fail to notify the assessor if they no longer qualify for a homestead exemption, and (2) the statutory deadline to apply for homestead has been extended to the end of the appeal period, meaning property owners who owned property on Jan. 1 but didn’t file by April 1 may have a second chance to request homestead in the current year.
During the public Q&A, renters and others asked whether the notice will include the formulas used to calculate estimated taxes; Widenhouse said those calculations will not appear on the mailed form but that assessor staff will assist taxpayers in person or over the phone and that online tax‑estimator tools will be available on columbusga.gov when the notices mail. She also said the city is working with its print vendor to mail notices as soon as reprogramming is complete.
The hearing concluded after officials confirmed the 45‑day appeal period and reminded residents of in‑person and online appeal options. The council will hold a third TBOR hearing as required before final millage consideration.
