The Chattooga County Board of Education invites community members to participate in three upcoming public hearings to discuss the decision to opt out of House Bill 581 (HB 581), a statewide floating homestead exemption. The hearings will allow residents to share their perspectives on this significant decision, which impacts the future funding of Chattooga County Schools.
The public hearings are scheduled as follows:
- Hearing One: Friday, January 17, 2025, at 7:00 am
- Hearing Two: Tuesday, January 21, 2025, at 6:00 pm
- Hearing Three: Thursday, January 23, 2025, at 5:00 pm
All hearings will take place at the Chattooga County Education Center.
House Bill 581, passed in 2024 by the Georgia General Assembly, limits annual increases in taxable home values to the prior year’s inflation rate. While it provides tax relief for homeowners, it also poses challenges for school districts, potentially reducing local tax revenue without offering options to recoup losses through new sales taxes.
Superintendent Michelle Helie presented an overview of the bill’s potential impact during a Called Board of Education Meeting on January 7, 2025. Board members concluded that opting out of the exemption is necessary to maintain stable funding for essential programs, teacher salaries, and school improvements.
The upcoming hearings will allow the community to engage directly with board members and contribute to the final decision before the opt-out deadline on March 1, 2025.
HB581 January 9 press release (2)
