Rep. Will Wade Introduces Legislation Providing Homestead Exemptions for Dawson County Seniors

State Representative Will Wade (R-Dawsonville) recently introduced House Bill 1422 and House Bill 1423, which would provide homestead exemptions for certain senior citizens from Dawson County ad valorem taxes that are used for county and educational purposes.

“Our Dawson seniors are feeling the financial burdens of record-high inflation and the rising costs of everyday necessities,” said Rep. Wade. “The proposed homestead exemptions, which have passed the House and are being voted on in the Senate, would provide some relief to our seniors back home. It is important that we better support our seniors who are on a fixed income, and these exemptions would allow some of their tax money to be redirected to their everyday costs. I thank my colleagues in the House for their support and vote on both bills and ask our Senate counterparts to vote favorably for these exemptions.”

“With double digit inflation increases on real estate values in North Georgia, senior citizens on limited incomes deserve property tax relief on their primary residences,” said State Senator Steve Gooch (R-Dahlonega). “I applaud Representative Wade for his leadership and hard work to bring this much-needed tax relief to the homeowner’s of Dawson County, and I look forward to leading it through the Georgia Senate to ensure its passage in this current legislative session.”

House Bill 1422 would provide a homestead exemption from Dawson County ad valorem taxes for residents who have owned one or more homesteads in Dawson County for 30 years or more in the amount of $200,000 of the assessed value of the homestead (the assessed value is 40 percent of fair market value).

House Bill 1423 would provide multiple homestead exemptions from Dawson County school district ad valorem taxes for certain residents with certain requirements for each exemption. The following individuals would qualify for these exemptions under this legislation: residents of the Dawson County school district who have owned a homestead in Dawson County for at least five years and is between 65 and 74 years of age would be exempt from all Dawson  County school district ad valorem taxes for educational purposes up to $200,000.00 of the assessed value of that homestead; residents of the Dawson County school district who have owned a homestead in  Dawson County for at least five years and is 75 years of age or older would be exempt from all Dawson County school district ad valorem taxes for educational purposes up to the amount of $300,000 of the assessed value of that homestead; senior citizens would be granted an exemption on that person’s homestead from all  Dawson County school district ad valorem taxes for educational purposes up to the amount of $200,000 of the assessed value of that homestead.

This legislation would not change the status of existing senior exemptions; all Dawson County property owners with existing senior exemptions will be grandfathered in.

To read more about HB 1422, please click here. To read more about House Bill 1423, please click here.

Representative Will Wade represents the citizens of District 9, which includes portions of Dawson, Lumpkin and White counties. He was elected to the House of Representatives in 2020 and currently serves as one of the Governor’s Floor Leaders and as Vice Chairman of the Banks & Banking Committee. He also serves on the Appropriations Subcommittee on Education and the Education, Juvenile Justice and State Planning & Community Affairs committees.

legis.ga.gov