Latest news with #HouseBill581
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Entrepreneurial Center, Rescue Squad to expand with new funding
May 30—The Morgan County Legislative Delegation, the Morgan County Rescue Squad, and the Decatur-Morgan County Entrepreneurial Center will receive more funding after a local bill was passed May 14, the final day of the legislative session. House Bill 581, sponsored by Rep. Terri Collins, R-Decatur, provides for the redistribution of in-lieu-of-tax payments in Morgan County from the Tennessee Valley Authority. It will roughly double the amount the Rescue Squad previously received, and the E-Center will receive in-lieu-of-tax funding for the first time. The local law takes effect Oct. 1. "We wanted to fund something that would grow revenue, and so we're moving that last percentage of the part that we delegate to the Entrepreneurial Center so that they can expand what they're doing around the county in different locations, not just in Decatur," Collins said. With the funding, the E-Center wants to open a location in Hartselle, the Rescue Squad plans to begin construction of a new station, and the legislative delegation plans to acquire a larger office space. "Our goal is to build a new station on the property that was donated and paid for by the county," Rescue Squad Chief Danny Kelso said. TVA makes in-lieu-of-tax payments each month because it is exempt from paying taxes as a government entity. The TVA pays out 5% of its gross profits from power sales each year to the states within its jurisdiction. Law dictates that the amount paid out to the counties exist in separate "pots." The state must split 75% of the payments it receives among the TVA-covered counties. An additional 3% is allocated to these counties per legislation from 2006. The section of the Alabama code dealing with these payments has changed several times to clarify wording and redistribute the money. Collins said HB581 allows for greater transparency about how TVA funding is being distributed within the county. "The main reason for working on that bill right now is it's very confusing how the language is. ... It's convoluted," Collins said. "Confusing is the best word, and we couldn't even understand it." In fiscal 2024, Morgan County received a total of $13.9 million in TVA in-lieu-of-tax funds. The "pot" referenced in the bill — the 3% increase from 2006 — amounted to $503,137.82. Julie Reeves, chief administrative officer of the Morgan County Commission, said that the amount the county receives varies greatly year to year, making it difficult to predict exact amounts for allocation. However, Reeves said fiscal 2025 has trended roughly 6% less than the previous year. If the trend continues, the amount the bill will redistribute starting with fiscal 2026 could total roughly $470,000. The Legislative Delegation will receive the largest portion of this money. HB581 increased its funding from 40% to 45%. Collins said this increase will help provide a larger office space for the delegation. The Rescue Squad will now receive 9% of the funds. In previous years, the squad received between $20,000 and $25,000. Rescue Squad Senior Board Member Tony Weikert said estimates for future funding have been closer to $45,000. The new station will be built on a 3-acre property on Mill Road that the Morgan County Commission helped the squad acquire. "Our station is out of date and not up to code," Kelso said. "It was built in the 1960s, and we've outgrown it." The Rescue Squad wants to break ground by the end of this year or early next year, Weikert said. He hopes a newer station will help the Rescue Squad appear more professional and attract more volunteers. After paying for the building, Kelso said funding would go to updating equipment. As a volunteer organization, Weikert said, the Rescue Squad didn't have any permanent funding to rely on. "We exist off of donations and annual requests from the city and the county and other places, but none of that is guaranteed money because you have to ask for it every year," Weikert said, emphasizing the difference the TVA funding will make. Weikert said he has been talking with state Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur, about increasing the squad's funding for about a year. "Arthur Orr has always been a champion for us," he said. "... If it hadn't been for Arthur Orr, we wouldn't have any dedicated funding." A major change that HB581 makes from previous law is that the Decatur-Morgan County Entrepreneurial Center will now receive funding from the TVA payments. The E-Center could receive about $47,000 based on the fiscal 2025 payment estimates. "The thought of the delegation was: This is promoting small business job creation for Morgan County, and that's certainly a good thing that we wanted to support," Orr said. John Joseph, the executive director for the E-Center, said conversations have begun with Hartselle residents about adding a satellite office there. "Hartselle is a very creative, innovative community," Joseph said. "We would absolutely like to partner with them to deliver something that benefits their entrepreneurs and their innovators." Joseph said the E-Center will meet with Hartselle residents and review the services offered to determine the community's greatest need. "A lot depends on if there's additional funding that can come from other places or whether we need to work with what we have," Joseph said. The E-Center has developed connections with Hartselle through its CEO (Creating Entrepreneurial Opportunities) Program, which provides local high school students with real-life business experience. Collins is thankful that HB581 passed. The Alabama Legislature's 2025 session concluded with a Senate filibuster from Senators Bobby Singleton, D-Greensboro, and Rodger Smitherman, D-Birmingham. Collins said "the last day was very contentious in the Senate, and (Orr) was able to get both of our local bills on the calendar and through the Senate so that we could pass those bills this year," Collins said. HB581 passed in the House on April 29 and in Senate on May 14. — or 256-340-2437
Yahoo
15-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Bulloch County Schools opt for $1 million in homeowner tax savings
STATESBORO, Ga. (WSAV) — The Bulloch County Board of Education has chosen to forgo more than $1 million in potential revenue, opting instead to keep money in the pockets of homeowners. The district is one of 34 in Georgia making this decision under the state's homestead exemption rule. School leaders said the decision means significant savings for residents who own and live in their homes, though the exact amounts won't be known until tax assessments are finalized. 'It's gonna reduce what the school district collects from people by $1 million, so whether that is $50 for you or $10 for me, we'll find out,' Superintendent Charles Wilson said. House Bill 581 prevents market value assessments from increasing property taxes. Instead, the state will set an annual inflation percentage that counties will use to determine property taxes on primary residences. 'We realize this could impact us and our tax collections, and we'll have to figure all that out later,' Wilson said. 'But their first priority in this was to pay attention to how primary residential homeowners were being impacted by double-digit reevaluation inflation.' Wilson emphasized that while the decision affects the school system's operational budget, everything else is paid for by property taxes. 'I always do encourage shopping locally because it's impacting our operations, it's impacting our ability to build schools, and it's impacting the ability for the county to do things,' Wilson said. Wilson said the area's industrial growth could serve as a financial cushion. He said even if companies receive tax incentives to build here, they must pay a Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) fee that supports the school district. 'Our development authority did step forward to make sure that Bulloch County schools got the tax collections on those industries, so that's a big boom for us,' Wilson said. Wilson added that no major cuts to school programs are expected. The construction of the new Southeast Bulloch High School will also continue as planned, as those funds come from sales taxes. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
City of Savannah opts out of state homestead exemption
SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) — The City of Savannah unanimously voted to opt out of the state's new homestead exemption tax Thursday. The City of Savannah and Chatham County currently tax homeowners through the 25-year-old Stephens Day model, which freezes home values to what they were upon original purchase, and locks in the county tax rate, something city leaders said does not need changing. The decision was made during their final meeting at 6 p.m. Feb. 27. WSAV has been following House Bill 581 decisions in our area. Stick with us on air and online for more. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
27-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Savannah homeowners await decision on Homestead Exemption today
SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) — Homeowners in Savannah are still waiting on a final decision about the homestead exemption… which could impact property taxes. City leaders are holding additional meetings today after last-minute disruptions at the last public hearing. Big changes could be coming for Savannah homeowners today, and time is running out to have your say on House Bill 581. Hearings today will help determine if the city opts out of the plan. Savannah's final public hearings today come after earlier delays left some residents locked blocked people from entering. Mayor Van Johnson apologized, but many were frustrated they couldn't speak. Today's hearings will determine if the city opts-out of Georgia's new homestead exemption, which caps property tax increases, but also allows local governments to opt out. Meanwhile, the County Tax Commissioner is working to help residents understand taxes and the homestead exemption. 'Tax Commissioner University was designed to keep the citizens informed on tax matters. Property taxes can be complicated for most taxpayers. So, what we want to do is make sure that taxpayers understand the property tax bill and be an avenue to answer questions that they have,' said Sonya L. Jackson, Chatham County's Tax Commissioner. Jackson has held annual monthly Tax Commissioner University programs since 2022. The next meeting will be on April 23rd and focus on understanding your property tax bill. This week she taught residents about tax exemptions and explained in depth the homestead exemption, something that has confused many local officials because House Bill 581 was complicatedly written. Savannah will have three public hearings today. Those are scheduled for 2 p.m., 4:30 p.m., and 6 p.m. at the Eli Whitney Administrative Complex. Anyone is welcome to attend and voice their opinion. The deadline for a decision from the City is still this Saturday, March 1st. If you live on Tybee Island, leaders want your input on House Bill 581 today as well. They are also holding hearings today at 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers on Van Horne is invited to attend. If you live in Evans County, you might have to pay a lot more in property taxes soon. The school board is planning to raise taxes by almost 32% to meet state rules and keep getting extra money for local schools. If your home is worth $100,000, you'd pay about $135 more a year. On top of that, you'll have to pay property taxes twice this year—once in May and again in December. Some say they can't afford it, especially older residents on fixed incomes. Others agree schools need money but think there should be a better solution. If you want to speak up or learn more, their next meeting is today at 2 pm at the Evans County Board of Education Office in Claxton. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Augusta commission opts out of floating homestead exemption
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) – Augusta leaders said it was not an easy call, whether to help homeowners or other taxpayers. 'We have to take into consideration everybody – business folks and homeowners and then again, the renters. We do have a lot of renters in Augusta, Georgia,' said Commissioner Catherine Smith Rice. Commissioners voted to opt out of the floating sales tax exemption that would hold home values at the rate of inflation. This would have benefited home owners by keeping property taxes in check.'A lot of my constituents are not homeowners, some of them may live in a house but they don't own the house. There's a lot of renters in District One and District Two. We need to make sure we are protecting them too,' said Commissioner Francine in November, sixty-two percent of voters supported the new exemption but city leaders say it would have come with a cost to taxpayers.'If we adopt this House Bill 581, it doesn't say the taxes will not go up it will,' said Mayor Pro-Tem Wayne Guilfoyle. But commissioners looking for other ways to provide relief asking the administrator for local options, like offering a similar homestead exemption but to just to seniors and low income.'Nothing is off the table. That's why we have these meetings so we can discuss things and we can get the point of view of commissioners who represent different district,' said Commissioner Stacy an 8 to 2 vote, commissioners said no to the homestead exemption voters wanted in November but are preparing to present to the state next month a local homestead exemption plan. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
