--- title: HB 1532. Dalton Independent School System; remove the increased millage rate limitation collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hb1532 cite_as: HB 1532, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1532 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1532.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1532/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73994 date: 2026-03-23 status: engrossed corpus_version: bills-2026-09-13 license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice. up: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026.md previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1531.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1533.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 481 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1532.md?full=1 bill_number: HB 1532 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: bill status_date: 2026-03-20 last_action: Senate Read and Referred sponsors: - Kasey Carpenter - Steve Tarvin text_version: Introduced has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB1532/2025 upstream_id: 2131412 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - property taxes - school funding - Dalton Independent School System - local referendum - millage rate --- # HB 1532. Dalton Independent School System; remove the increased millage rate limitation ## Text House Bill 1532 By: Representatives Carpenter of the 4th and Tarvin of the 2nd A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT To amend an Act to continue the existence of the Dalton Independent School System, approved May 13, 2011 (Ga. L. 2011, p. 4111), so as to remove the increased millage rate limitation; to provide for the maximum millage rate to be charged by such school system; to provide for a referendum, effective dates, automatic repeal, mandatory execution of election, and judicial remedies regarding failure to comply; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA: SECTION 1. An Act to continue the existence of the Dalton Independent School System, approved May 13, 2011 (Ga. L. 2011, p. 4111), is amended by revising subsection (b) of Section 9 as follows: "(b) The mill limitation in effect on December 31, 2012, shall be removed. In its place, the school system shall be subject to the millage limitation of 9.5 mill." SECTION 2. The municipal election superintendent of the City of Dalton shall call and conduct an election as provided in this section for the purpose of submitting this Act to the electors of the City of Dalton for approval or rejection. The municipal election superintendent shall conduct that election on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November, 2026, and shall issue the call and conduct that election as provided by general law. The municipal election superintendent shall cause the date and purpose of the election to be published once a week for two weeks immediately preceding the date thereof in the official organ of Whitfield County. The ballot shall have written or printed thereon the words: "( ) YES Shall the Act be approved which lowers the millage rate cap for property ( ) NO taxes collected to support the Dalton Independent School System?" All persons desiring to vote for approval of the Act shall vote "Yes," and all persons desiring to vote for rejection of the Act shall vote "No." If more than one-half of the votes cast on such question are for approval of the Act, Section 1 of this Act shall become of full force and effect on January 1, 2027. If the Act is not so approved or if the election is not conducted as provided in this section, Section 1 of this Act shall not become effective, and this Act shall be automatically repealed on the 365th calendar day following the election date provided for in this section. The expense of such election shall be borne by the City of Dalton. It shall be the municipal election superintendent's duty to certify the result thereof to the Secretary of State. The provisions of this section shall be mandatory upon the municipal election superintendent and are not intended as directory. If the municipal election superintendent fails or refuses to comply with this section, any elector of the City of Dalton may apply for a writ of mandamus to compel the municipal election superintendent to perform his or her duties under this section. If the court finds that the municipal election superintendent has not complied with this section, the court shall fashion appropriate relief requiring the municipal election superintendent to call and conduct such election on the date required by this section or on the next date authorized for special elections provided for in Code Section 21-2-540 of the O.C.G.A. SECTION 3. Except as otherwise provided in Section 2 of this Act, this Act shall become effective upon its approval by the Governor or upon its becoming law without such approval. SECTION 4. All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed. ## Summaries written by Georgia Commons The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the bill. Quote the text, not the summary. House Bill 1532 would remove the previous millage rate limit for the Dalton Independent School System and replace it with a new cap of 9.5 mills, pending voter approval in a November 2026 referendum. ### Plain-language summary The Dalton Independent School System is governed by a 2011 state law that set limits on the millage rate, the rate used to calculate property taxes that fund the school system. This bill removes the mill limitation that had been in effect since December 31, 2012, and replaces it with a new cap of 9.5 mills. The change would not take effect automatically. The bill requires the City of Dalton's municipal election superintendent to hold a referendum on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November 2026, asking voters whether to approve the new lower millage cap. If a majority vote yes, the change becomes effective January 1, 2027. If voters reject it or the election is not held as required, the bill is automatically repealed 365 days after the election date. The bill also allows any Dalton elector to seek a court order forcing the election superintendent to hold the vote if he or she fails to do so. ### What it does - Removes the millage rate limitation that has applied to the Dalton Independent School System since December 31, 2012. - Sets a new maximum millage rate of 9.5 mills for property taxes supporting the Dalton Independent School System. - Requires a referendum in the City of Dalton in November 2026 asking voters to approve or reject the new millage cap. - Makes the millage change effective January 1, 2027 only if a majority of voters approve it in the referendum. - Automatically repeals the Act 365 days after the election if voters reject it or if the election is not held as required. - Allows any elector of the City of Dalton to seek a court order (a writ of mandamus) forcing the election superintendent to hold the required election. ### Who it affects Property owners and taxpayers within the Dalton Independent School System's tax base, voters in the City of Dalton who will decide the referendum, the Dalton Independent School System itself, and the City of Dalton's municipal election superintendent, who is required to organize the vote. ### Why it matters If voters approve the change, the school system's property tax rate would be capped at 9.5 mills starting in 2027, directly affecting how much property tax revenue the district can collect. If voters reject it or the election does not happen, the current limitation stays in place and this Act disappears from law. ### Key provisions - Section 1 revises the 2011 Act creating the Dalton Independent School System, removing the prior mill limitation and setting a new maximum of 9.5 mills. - Section 2 requires a referendum on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November 2026, with the ballot language asking whether to lower the millage rate cap. - Section 2 sets the effective date of the millage change as January 1, 2027 if approved, and provides for automatic repeal 365 days after the election if not approved or if the election is not held. - Section 2 gives Dalton electors the right to seek a court order compelling the election superintendent to conduct the election if required. - Section 3 makes the rest of the Act effective upon the Governor's signature or becoming law without signature. - Section 4 repeals conflicting laws. ## Status - Status: Engrossed (2026-03-20) - Last action: Senate Read and Referred (2026-03-23) - Sponsors: Kasey Carpenter, Steve Tarvin - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73994 > The history, votes, and amendments (481 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1532.md?full=1