HB1595: HB1595 Clarke County; school district ad valorem tax; revise how income cap is calculated

26 LC 47 4032/AP House Bill 1595 (AS PASSED HOUSE AND SENATE) By: Representatives Frye of the 122nd, Rhodes of the 124th, Gaines of the 120th, and Gisler of the 121st A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT To amend an Act to grant to residents of Clarke County and the Clarke County School1 District, upon their homesteads, an exemption of $10,000.00 from certain ad valorem taxes2 levied by the Unified Government of Athens-Clarke County, Georgia, and levied by, for, or3 on behalf of the Clarke County School District, approved April 13, 1992 (Ga. L. 1992,4 p. 6241), as amended, particularly by an Act approved April 18, 2022 (Ga. L. 2022, p. 5504),5 so as to revise how the income cap is calculated related to the low-income base year assessed6 value homestead exemption from certain ad valorem taxes levied by the Unified Government7 of Athens-Clarke County for unified government purposes; to pro vide for related matters;8 to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.9 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:10 SECTION 1.11 An Act to grant to residents of Clarke County and the Clarke County School District, upon12 their homesteads, an exemption of $10,000.00 from certain ad valorem taxes levied by the13 Unified Government of Athens-Clarke County, Georgia, and levied by, for, or on behalf of14 the Clarke County School District, approved April 13, 1992 (Ga. L. 1992, p. 6241), as15 H. B. 1595 - 1 - 26 LC 47 4032/AP amended, particularly by an Act approved April 18, 2022 (Ga. L. 2022, p. 5504), is amended16 in Section 2 by revising paragraph (2) of subsection (b) as follows:17 "(2) Each resident of Athens-Clarke County is granted an exempt ion on that person's18 homestead from ad valorem taxes for unified government purposes in an amount equal19 to the amount by which the current year assessed value of that homestead exceeds the20 base year assessed value of that homestead. This exemption sha ll not apply to taxes21 assessed on improvements to the homestead or additional land th at is added to the22 homestead after January 1 of the base year. If any real proper ty is removed from the23 homestead, the base year assessed value, including any final determination of value on24 appeal pursuant to Code Section 48-5-311 of the O.C.G.A., as amended, shall be adjusted25 to reflect such removal and the exemption shall be recalculated accordingly. The value26 of that property in excess of such exempted amount shall remain subject to taxation. The27 exemption under this subsection shall only be granted if that person's household income28 for the immediately preceding year does not exceed 200 percent of the income level29 corresponding to the household size of such person published by the United States30 Department of Health and Human Services for the corresponding y ear's United States31 Federal Poverty Guidelines for the 48 Contiguous States and the District of Columbia."32 SECTION 2.33 All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.34 H. B. 1595 - 2 -