Latest news with #HouseBill92
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Gwinnett County property tax assessments mailed Friday
Property owners, some important mail is about to hit your mailboxes. It may not be a bill, but it's still really important. The county's Board of Assessors said it mailed property tax assessments Friday. The Annual Notice of Assessment discloses the value of the owner's property, which is used in calculating taxes. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] The county said the assessments will reflect new values for roughly 84% of residential properties and 54% of commercial properties. State law requires that property owners receive notices each year letting them know what the value of their property is as of Jan. 1. The notice gives last year's value and the 2025 value along with an explanation for any change in value. The Gwinnett County Assessors' Office comes up with the numbers by using available market data to value each property in compliance with state regulations. The Board of Assessors recommends that property owners look over their Annual Notice of Assessment to make sure it accurately represents their property and fair market value. TRENDING STORIES: Husband ran off to Costa Rica with nanny after wife's south GA murder, GBI says Possible explosion at Georgia Volkswagen dealership, officials say Walton County teen graduates after beating rare, aggressive cancer If property owners disagree with the assessment, they have 45 days from the date on their notice to file an appeal online, in person or by mail. Your assessment has a new look this year, thanks to recent state legislation. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] House Bill 92 requires that the annual Notice of Assessment include estimates of the city, school board and county rollback rates. A rollback rate is the tax rate that, when applied to current year property values, produces the same amount of tax revenue as was generated by the previous year's property values. Any taxpayer who wishes to view and print a copy of their annual notice of assessment, research market values, read frequently asked questions or submit an appeal online may visit The county also has guidance on how to read your assessment. The Gwinnett County Assessors' Office can be reached at 770-822-7200 or at
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
NC House votes to appoint pension managers, allow state investment in crypto
(Photo illustration by Namthip Muanthongthae / Getty Images) The North Carolina House gave the green light to a pair of bills this week that would change how the state manages its pension fund and allow that fund's investments to include cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin. A five-member board of appointees would manage the state's $127 billion in investments under House Bill 506. And House Bill 92 would give that board the power to invest up to 5% of the state's portfolio in cryptocurrency. The measures represent a concentrated effort to shift the state's approach to investing. North Carolina's pension system has a $16 billion deficit, and the fund's investments have yielded lower returns in comparison to other states' portfolios in recent years. State Treasurer Brad Briner, a Republican elected in November, has thrown his support behind both bills. He currently serves as the sole final authority over the state investments. His GOP predecessor, Dale Folwell, had practiced a more conservative approach to the pension fund. The five-member North Carolina Investment Authority would include the treasurer and four other members. The treasurer, Speaker of the House, Senate President Pro Tem and governor would be able to appoint one member each. Appointees would be required to have 'expert knowledge of investments' and more than 10 years of 'successful management' of pensions, endowments or other investments. The board would appoint a chief investment officer — someone with similar, if not more extensive, qualifications to board appointees. That CIO would negotiate and execute third-party contracts on behalf of the board. HB 506 passed the House with little discussion Tuesday, 110-3. The bill to allow investment in cryptocurrency is backed by House Speaker Destin Hall (R-Caldwell). It limits the investments to the crypto equivalent of mutual funds, rather than direct investments in specific currencies. And it lays the groundwork for the treasurer and law enforcement to examine both a 'strategic reserve' of digital assets collected by the state, as well as allowing state employees to invest part of their portfolios in crypto. The bill's supporters view it as another plank of proactive and wise investing — arguing that the state should utilize a growing corner of the market. 'We need to spread the allocation around,' said Rep. Keith Kidwell (R-Beaufort). 'Just like any good investment broker would do for you.' But Democrats who opposed the measure warned of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies' volatility — and cautioned against betting part of state workers' pensions on them. 'I still have a lot of questions about this investment strategy and the level of commitment we're making to it,' said Rep. Maria Cervania (D-Wake). Opinions on the bill outside of the General Assembly have split. Gov. Josh Stein has said he supports the measure and allowing Briner to have more control over state investments. Representatives of the State Employees Association of North Carolina have expressed opposition. The measure passed 71-44 on Wednesday, and now heads to the Senate.
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Georgia lawmakers push local governments to reconsider escaping a property tax cap
Georgia's voters said in November that they wanted property tax relief, but many local governments are holding on to their power to raise taxes despite the statewide vote. Now, state lawmakers are trying to push local governments to reconsider and agree to limit how much of a home's increasing value can be taxed. From 2018 to 2023, the total assessed value of property across Georgia rose by nearly 61%, according to figures from the Georgia Department of Revenue. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Values rose so fast that most local governments pocketed increased revenue even as they lowered tax rates, and statewide property tax collections rose 44% from 2018 to 2023. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Hufstetler, a Rome Republican, calls it a 'backdoor tax increase.' Amid the uproar over tax bills, lawmakers put a state constitutional amendment on the ballot in November to limit how much of a home's rising value can be translated into higher property taxes. State politicians sought instead to index a property's taxable value to the broader rate of inflation each year. TRENDING STORIES: Georgia head coach Kirby Smart addresses players' latest driving arrests Atlanta bagpiper killed while scuba diving; son who vanished 4 years ago found dead at home GA law enforcement makes biggest fentanyl bust in state history, enough to kill 2.5 million people Nearly 63% of Georgia voters backed the cap, making the state one of eight where voters decided property tax measures in November, a sign of how rising tax bills are influencing politics nationwide. But Georgia's plan gave local governments a one-time chance to escape the limit if they acted by March 1, and they exercised that right in droves. Almost two-thirds of the state's 180 school districts opted out, representing 75% of Georgia's 1.75 million students statewide, according to filings with the secretary of state. So did a quarter of Georgia's 159 counties and 20% of its more than 500 cities. Citing their own rising expenses, local officials said the tax cap could force them to give up revenue they might need in the future. Officials in Gwinnett County — Georgia's largest school district, with 183,000 students — forecast that the cap could cut tax revenue by $35 million a year. Hufstetler and other Republicans, unhappy that so many governments opted out, want them to change their minds. Some lawmakers are trying to force local governments in their districts to accept the cap. At least a dozen bills are advancing in the state Capitol to set local referendums in which voters could mandate that their local government abide by the cap. On Tuesday, senators attempted something more like persuasion. Senators voted 52-2 for House Bill 92, which would give governments another chance to agree to the limits. The measure goes back to the House for more debate. Local governments that have exited could change their minds and agree to the tax cap through March 1, 2029. In the meantime, those governments would have to print notices on tax bills encouraging citizens to call them if they have concerns. As a concession, the bill would exempt school districts from having to pay sales taxes on construction materials if they agree to the cap. 'It does continue to allow opportunities for them to look back, particularly in a couple of years from now, when they could look back and see how minimal it is,' Hufstetler said after the vote. 'Yet it protects the homeowners.' The bill passed Tuesday would force some local governments to vote again in 2027 to exit the cap, and hold another round of public meetings. Any government that didn't complete the steps would be put under the cap permanently. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Associated Press
25-03-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Georgia lawmakers push local governments to reconsider escaping a property tax cap
ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia's voters said in November that they wanted property tax relief, but many local governments are holding on to their power to raise taxes despite the statewide vote. Now state lawmakers are trying to push local governments to reconsider and agree to limit how much of a home's increasing value can be taxed. From 2018 to 2023, the total assessed value of property across Georgia rose by nearly 61%, according to figures from the Georgia Department of Revenue. Values rose so fast that most local governments pocketed increased revenue even as they lowered tax rates, and statewide property tax collections rose 44% from 2018 to 2023. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Hufstetler, a Rome Republican, calls it a 'backdoor tax increase.' Amid the uproar over tax bills, lawmakers put a state constitutional amendment on the ballot in November to limit how much of a home's rising value can be translated into higher property taxes. State politicians sought instead to index a property's taxable value to the broader rate of inflation each year. Nearly 63% of Georgia voters backed the cap, making the state one of eight where voters decided property tax measures in November, a sign of how rising tax bills are influencing politics nationwide. But Georgia's plan gave local governments a one-time chance to escape the limit if they acted by March 1, and they exercised that right in droves. Almost two-thirds of the state's 180 school districts opted out, representing 75% of Georgia's 1.75 million students statewide, according to filings with the secretary of state. So did a quarter of Georgia's 159 counties and 20% of its more than 500 cities. Citing their own rising expenses, local officials said the tax cap could force them to give up revenue they might need in the future. Officials in Gwinnett County — Georgia's largest school district, with 183,000 students — forecast that the cap could cut tax revenue by $35 million a year. Hufstetler and other Republicans, unhappy that so many governments opted out, want them to change their minds. Some lawmakers are trying to force local governments in their districts to accept the cap. At least a dozen bills are advancing in the state Capitol to set local referendums in which voters could mandate that their local government abide by the cap. On Tuesday, senators attempted something more like persuasion. Senators voted 52-2 for House Bill 92, which would give governments another chance to agree to the limits. The measure goes back to the House for more debate. Local governments that have exited could change their minds and agree to the tax cap through March 1, 2029. In the meantime, those governments would have to print notices on tax bills encouraging citizens to call them if they have concerns. As a concession, the bill would exempt school districts from having to pay sales taxes on construction materials if they agree to the cap. 'It does continue to allow opportunities for them to look back, particularly in a couple of years from now, when they could look back and see how minimal it is,' Hufstetler said after the vote. 'Yet it protects the homeowners.' The bill passed Tuesday would force some local governments to vote again in 2027 to exit the cap, and hold another round of public meetings. Any government that didn't complete the steps would be put under the cap permanently.
Yahoo
09-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump cuts cost a Raleigh nonprofit 30 valuable workers. How is this efficiency?
Thirty people were laid off at the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants in Raleigh where I volunteered. They were serving folks who are new to the country. They were dedicated and hardworking. Now refugees are left with fewer resources, and hardworking Americans are without jobs. How is this efficiency? Our present government seems Hell bent on destroying the infrastructure that has served our country well. This is creating chaos and destruction. Meanwhile, Congress does nothing. I appeal to them to stand up for the American people. Elizabeth Norval, Raleigh Senator Thom Tillis delivered an impassioned speech damning Russia's murderous conduct in Ukraine. Nonetheless, he reaffirmed his support for President Donald Trump's national security policies. These issues are not esoteric given the North Carolina's large military-connected population. North Carolinians deserve to know does Tillis support the annexation of Greenland? Of Canada? Is he concerned about the firing of senior officers? What of DOGE cuts to soft power agencies, the defense workforce, and the VA? In response to the latter issue, it would be enlightening to know whether Tillis ruminates over the potential effects to N.C. veterans who served during the height of the Global War on Terrorism. For the military-connected, these matters are real — decisions will disproportionately affect their lives. But, the national security decisions are not limited to these cohorts. There will be economic and personal impacts across the state. North Carolinians deserve to know where Tillis stands with the same passionate clarity. Robert Runyans, Raleigh Having read that state House Speaker Destin Hall through House Bill 92 wants to take up to 10% of teacher and state retiree funds to invest in cryptocurrency is shocking. North Carolina has one of the highest rated pension plans in the U.S. It earned that by careful investments. The plan is funded by the state employees, not by taxes. The pension plan belongs to retired state employees. Legislators should keep their hands off. Cryptocurrency is not known to be sound. Leave my money alone! Carolyn Davis, Raleigh The U.S. government has not paid invoices to USAID partners since the inauguration for work under Congress-approved contracts done before the inauguration. Thousands of NC jobs are at risk as firms face downsizing or closure. I was furloughed despite a two-decade career with USAID partners. Firms in NC are fourth largest among partners in the US, and we are facing the impacts of the U.S. not paying its bills. Financial institutions are now questioning whether the government will honor its obligations, increasing discount rates for credit. Banks have lost confidence in America's reliability to pay its bills. Consequences will spread. This isn't partisan. It's about contract law and honoring commitments. When the government breaks promises, we suffer. The work was approved by Congress, done in good faith, and the government needs to pay its bills. Call your senators today. Demand the Republican administration meets its obligations. Jobs, businesses and financial security in NC are on the line. Kirsten Weeks, Durham The meeting between President Volodymyr Zelensky, President Trump and Vice President JD Vance was a horrifying embarrassment for our country. Zelensky maintained dignity and poise while the other two berated him like schoolyard bullies. Trump's language became unhinged and Vance played along. I imagine Vance's children watching his shameful behavior, and I mourn the loss of dignity and the rise of disgusting cruelty in the White House. Republican leaders continue to show they lack backbones to honor their vows to our Constitution and stand up for humanity. Shame on them all. Sarah Carrier, Chapel Hill I cannot believe my vote in the state Supreme Court race is still in question. I have voted consistently in the past four elections at my designated polling station without issue. However, my vote is now being questioned. This concerns me as I have diligently followed all procedures. Why is my vote is being scrutinized? I have not been provided any information as to how to resolve the issue. I voted in person and did not have any questions about my ballot. I want to ensure my voice is heard and my rights are upheld. Lihn Calhoun, Chapel Hill
