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County staff explains House Bill 581 and the 'sales-ratio' process behind reassessments
Summary
Stephens County staff and commissioners explained that the Georgia Department of Revenue's sales-ratio study compares assessed values to sale prices and requires more frequent assessments under HB 581; staff emphasized homestead properties will use the 2024 base year under the law.
County staff used the hearing to explain why many residents saw large assessment shifts and how state rules factor into local tax calculations.
A staff member explained the Department of Revenue's sales-ratio work: "They compare what properties are assessed at versus what they sell," and the results drive reassessment cycles. Staff said the county had been assessed low for many years and that HB 581 requires more regular reassessments to align assessed values with market values. Staff emphasized that homesteaded properties will use 2024 as the base year under HB 581, reducing immediate impact for those taxpayers, while non-homesteaded parcels may reflect more recent sales prices.
