The Columbia County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved opting out of House Bill 581, the floating homestead exemption, on Thursday, Feb. 27.
“I want to acknowledge the General Assembly’s commitment to lowering taxes for the citizens of the state of Georgia and this Columbia County commission strongly supports that commitment,” said Chairman Doug Duncan. “Regarding House Bill 581, on the surface it initially seems simple, but after four public hearings and fairly intense discovery, it became evident there’s too many potential unforeseen consequences that could damage the quality of life in Columbia County.”
Following the vote, Commissioner Chairman Doug Duncan tasked the Management and Internal Services Committee, which is chaired by District 1 Commissioner Connie Melear, to come up with a local solution to provide tax relief similar to House Bill 581 by April 1.
MORE: Both Harlem and Grovetown vote to opt out of House Bill 581
“We have opted out, but our focus is to come up with our own homestead floating exemption to have in place for this tax year,” Duncan said. “We prefer to have the local control instead of state control.”
Duncan added he believes opting out is the best option for residents in Columbia County because it keeps the control local, meaning residents can attend a meeting and voice their opinion.
MORE: Columbia County Schools opt out of House Bill 581 in 3-2 vote
The decision to opt out came after the county held four public hearings on the topic, with many residents voicing their support to opt out as the hearings went out and more information was learned about the bill.
All four public hearings, along with Thursday night’s meeting, can be found on the Columbia County, Georgia YouTube Page.
