HB850: HB850 Augusta-Richmond County; ad valorem tax; provide homestead exemption

Currently, Augusta-Richmond County homeowners pay consolidated government property taxes based on the full current assessed value of their homes each year. This bill would create a homestead exemption tied to a 'base year' value, so the taxable value used for consolidated government taxes could only grow by up to 3.2 percent per year above the prior adjusted value, plus the value of any major improvements. The exemption would not apply to state, school, or municipal property taxes, only to Augusta-Richmond County's consolidated government levies. Homeowners who already had a 2025 homestead exemption and remain eligible would be enrolled automatically for 2026; others would need to apply through the tax commissioner. The exemption would pass to a surviving unremarried spouse who keeps living in the home. Because this changes local tax law, the Georgia Constitution requires a two-thirds vote in both legislative chambers and local voter approval in a November 2025 referendum. If voters reject it or no election is held, the tax change never takes effect and the whole Act is automatically repealed about a year after the election.

• Creates a homestead exemption for Augusta-Richmond County consolidated government ad valorem (property) taxes based on limiting yearly assessed value growth.
• Caps the annual increase in a home's taxable value for this exemption at 3.2 percent above the prior adjusted base year value, plus the value of any substantial improvements.
• Automatically enrolls homeowners who had a 2025 homestead exemption and remain eligible, without requiring a new application for 2026.
• Excludes state, school district, and municipal property taxes from the exemption, applying it only to county consolidated government taxes.
• Requires a November 2025 referendum and repeals the whole Act automatically if voters reject it or if the election is not held as required.
• Allows an unremarried surviving spouse to keep receiving the exemption as long as they continue living in the home.

Homeowners in Augusta-Richmond County who claim a homestead exemption, the Augusta-Richmond County tax commissioner's office, which administers applications, and voters in Augusta-Richmond County, who must approve the measure in a November 2025 referendum before it can take effect.

If approved, eligible homeowners in Augusta-Richmond County would see the taxable value used for county consolidated government taxes grow more slowly than their home's actual market value, potentially lowering that portion of their tax bill compared to current law, though school, state, and municipal taxes would be unaffected.

• Section 1 defines key terms like 'adjusted base year assessed value,' 'base year assessed value,' and 'substantial property change' used to calculate the exemption.
• Section 1(b) grants the exemption equal to the difference between a home's current assessed value and its adjusted base year assessed value.
• Section 1(c) requires an application to the tax commissioner, but automatically carries over the exemption for those who already had one in 2025.
• Section 1(e) limits the exemption to Augusta-Richmond County consolidated government taxes only, excluding state, school, and municipal taxes, and bars stacking it with other base-year exemptions.
• Section 1(f) sets the exemption to apply starting with the 2026 tax year.
• Section 2 requires a two-thirds vote in both the House and Senate for the Act to become law, per the Georgia Constitution.
• Section 3 calls for a November 2025 referendum in Augusta-Richmond County, with automatic repeal of the Act if voters reject it or the election fails to occur.
• Section 4 sets the Act's general effective date as upon the Governor's approval or becoming law without signature, apart from the referendum provisions.

1. 2025-05-09Effective Date 2025-05-09
2. 2025-05-09Act 101
3. 2025-05-09House Date Signed by Governor (House)
4. 2025-04-10House Sent to Governor (House)
5. 2025-04-02Senate Passed/Adopted (Senate)
6. 2025-04-02Senate Committee Favorably Reported (Senate)
7. 2025-03-31Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
8. 2025-03-31House Passed/Adopted (House)

• Mark Newton (R, HD-127)Primary sponsor
• Brian Prince (D, HD-132)
• Karlton Howard (D, HD-129)
• Lynn Heffner (D, HD-130)
• L.C. Myles (D, HD-126)

1. PassedHouse voteMarch 31, 2025

   165 yea, 0 nay (10 not voting, 5 absent)

   Local Calendar Without Hbs 851 & 852: House Vote #342

2. PassedSenate voteApril 2, 2025

   55 yea, 1 nay

   Supplemental Local Consent Calendar: Senate Vote #400

• property taxes
• homestead exemption
• Augusta-Richmond County
• local referendum
• ad valorem tax