Muscogee County schools plan to opt out of GA tax law. Why it matters for Columbus residents
The Muscogee County School Board announced Wednesday it plans to opt out of a new law that caps home taxes, but will take input on the issue from residents in the coming weeks.
Columbus residents who care how much money they pay in property taxes on their home might want to attend one of these public hearings the Muscogee County School District Board will conduct:
- Jan. 13 at 5 p.m.
- Jan. 21 at 6 p.m.
- Feb. 10 at 5 p.m.
- Feb. 18 at 6 p.m.
All the hearings will be in the Muscogee County Public Education Center, 2960 Macon Road in Columbus, as part of the board’s monthly work session or meeting.
Georgia law requires such hearings to be conducted when local government taxing authorities plan to opt out of the statewide adjusted base year ad valorem (more commonly known as property) taxes for homestead exemption, which voters approved as Amendment 1 on the ballot during the November 2024 election.
Passage of that amendment limits tax increases by only the rate of inflation on properties with a homestead exemption. A homestead exemption reduces the amount of taxes homeowners are assessed on their property if it’s their legal residence.
In a news release Wednesday, MCSD communications director Kimberly Wright wrote that the board intends to opt out because the district “is already impacted by a county-wide freeze on the assessed fair market values of homestead property and affirms that with the opt-out all existing local homestead exemptions, including the local Frozen Assessment Homestead, will remain unchanged.”
Wright added, “The intent to opt out follows a thorough review of the potential long-term impact on local taxpayers, school district revenues, and retention of local control and provides flexibility for the future that is not afforded by the state exemption.”
For more information about homestead exemptions in Columbus, visit the explanation on the Muscogee County Board of Tax Assessors website.
