Gov. Sonny Perdue proposed eliminating the $8,000 homestead exemption to reduce the state’s estimated $2.2 billion revenue shortfall, although most counties, like Troup, have already given the exemption.
The average homeowner in Troup County would be liable for an additional $237.28 in taxes to make up for a loss of about $2 million for the school system and $1 million for the county government.
Nix said the House and Senate leadership are “very much committed to funding it,” although it will take some creative thinking.
“I feel realistically sure it will be funded for this year,” he said Tuesday.
Local governments and school systems established their current budgets assuming the money would be there, and they’re about to enter the seventh month of the fiscal year.
Sending out another tax bill “would be extremely disappointing because it would basically be a tax increase for families who are already hurting,” said County Commission Chairman Ricky Wolfe.
It would be “totally unacceptable,” said County Commissioner Ken Smith.
“We don’t need to be increasing taxes on property owners,” added state Rep. Carl Von Epps of LaGrange.
In the alternative, the county could take the money from reserve funds or “make tough decisions” about the budget, Wolfe said.
But Jerry Griffin, executive director of the Association County Commissioners of Georgia, said the organization has a legal opinion that local governments and schools couldn’t absorb the losses if they wanted to.
“We just want everyone to understand that if this program is not funded, Georgia homeowners will have to get out their checkbooks to pay back the credit because counties have no legal authority to forgive taxes or lower the millage rate established in 2008 to offset the loss of the [tax] credit,” said ACCG Executive Director Jerry Griffin.
“Homeowners will be angry with both state and local officials if they receive a delinquent tax notice for their 2008 property taxes,” Griffin said. “We strongly encourage legislators to include the funding for the credit that homeowners have already received or we will all hear about it.”
Meanwhile, another battle is shaping up over the governor’s proposal to save $30 million by eliminating school nurses.
Nix said he has received “well over 500” e-mails against the proposed cut, but “nobody anticipated such a huge drop in revenues.”
“We’ve protected the schools as long as we could,” he said. “We’d love to fund it, but right now we’re trying to find the money.”
He said he has asked school administrators in his district, “What could be cut?” if not school nurses and nobody has given him an answer.
“We didn’t come up here to cut programs,” he said. “We’re doing our best to prioritize and do what we can do.”
Epps said school systems can’t afford not to have nurses and “I don’t like that idea.”
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