Taxpayers have their last chance weigh in on House Bill 581 at a final Augusta public hearing Tuesday.
The bill, approved by voters in November, limits increases in the taxable value of an owner-occupied home to the rate of inflation, unless local governments “opt out” by March 1.
City officials have argued while the so-called “floating” homestead exemption benefits some homeowners, it actually represents a tax shift, with the burden shifted to commercial and non-homesteaded properties.
One advocate for the tax break, former Commissioner Moses Todd, is signed up to address the commission about the matter after the 11 a.m. public hearing.
Todd said he’ll counter the chamber-of-commerce-led argument that business owners must be protected from any tax increase.
“They use the argument that if they don’t protect commerce in every instance, that commerce will leave Augusta-Richmond County,” Todd said. “I think it’s time to call the chamber’s bluff on that one.”
Todd said unforeseen, valuation-driven tax increases can have a devastating effect on mortgage holders.
“When this is rolled into escrow, the fixed mortgage amount is going to go up – for a tax increase,” he said.
In Richmond County, about 31,000 properties, about 38% of all parcels, receive a homestead exemption and would benefit from the additional floating homestead, according to the city’s count.
In one scenario presented by the city, if the floating exemption had been put in place in 2021, as of 2024, 68.9% of properties would have seen their tax bills go down for almost a third consecutive year.
Tax vote possible
After the 11 a.m. public hearing, the city’s Pension and Audit committee has a 1:30 p.m. meeting prior to the Augusta Commission’s 2 p.m. regular meeting. At that meeting, the commission has an agenda item to “discuss and approve a path forward” for House Bill 581.
Other items going for final commission approval Tuesday include a partnership between Augusta Housing and Community Development with Honnete Habitats to develop nine multifamily units on six lots in the 1200 block of 12th Street.
The commission is expected to give final approval to rejecting a proposal to save the Dyess Park Community Center, which is a 135-year-old city fire station. The city’s Administrative Services committee cited community will to demolish the building in a decision last week to reject a plan to save it.
The commission is expected to approve a recommendation to serve as the nonpartisan chairperson of the Richmond County Board of Elections. Nominees for the post recommended by the Augusta legislative delegation include former Elections Director Lynn Bailey, Eugene Beverly and Mary Jones.
