26-02-2025
Savannah-Chatham County School Board votes to opt out of HB 581
SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) — The Savannah Chatham County Public School System (SCCPSS) has voted to opt out of House Bill (HB) 581.
The bill, which has been up for debate in multiple nearby counties, allows Georgia public school systems and municipalities to consider a floating homestead exemption for property owners that would have impacts on tax revenue.
The yea votes included school board members Denise Grabowski, Dionne Hoskins-Brown, Cornelia Hall, Paul Smith and Tonia Howard-Hall.
The no votes included Shawn Kachmar, Roger Moss and Stephanie Campbell.
David Bringman was not in attendance for the vote.
The main reason for the school district's decision to opt out of HB 581, as articulated by
School officials say that the 'pros for opting in are not the same in Chatham County as most other counties,' due in large part to the existing Stephens-Day Exemption.
The Chatham County Board of Assessors describes Stephens-Day as 'A homestead exemption that is equal to the difference between the current year fair market value and the adjusted base year value (property's value in the year prior to the homestead application plus any improvements since the year of the application).'
Stephens-Day has been in place for nearly three decades.
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