County Officially Heeds Voter Mandate to Opt In To Statewide Homestead Exemption Legislation With Unanimous Board of Commissioners Vote

At the Tuesday, Feb. 25 regularly scheduled meeting of the Stephens County Board of Commissioners, the Board held the third of three required public hearings on House Bill 581, or the Statewide Floating Homestead Exemption legislation that was approved by voters in the November 2024 General Election. 

Under the wording of the legislation approved by voters, taxing authorities, including municipal, county and school board elected officials, would have the opportunity to vote to opt out of the homestead exemption, but need to do so no later than March 1. The three required public hearings were scheduled by county officials to give Board members the chance to research the legislation and its potential ramifications, and to hear input from citizens, while retaining the ability to opt out by the March 1 deadline. 

At Tuesday’s Public Hearing, one citizen spoke, clarifying that he was not speaking in favor of or in opposition to the county opting out, but simply asking if opting in, or out, would impact his current county-instituted homestead exemption. Board Vice Chair Chris Rickman assured him that it would not. 

Following the public hearing, the board unanimously voted to officially declare their intention not to opt out of the legislation. Although the wording of the legislation automatically enrolls taxing authorities in the homestead exemption process unless they vote to opt out, and  thus official action from the Board was not technically necessary to “opt in,” the board formalized the county’s decision with the public vote of board members. 

During the vote on the matter, Rickman thanked citizens for their patience as the Board took the steps they felt necessary to make sure they were making the best decision for the community.

Following the meeting, WNEG News spoke with Board Chair Tara Simmons to ask what impact would come from the discussions on the legislation that are still occurring in the state legislature.

She said no action would be required from owners of homestead properties to be enrolled in the statewide exception, but did stress that people need to make sure they have registered their property as a homestead property, if eligible. 

Any citizen with questions regarding the homestead exemption status of their property should contact the Stephens County Tax Assessor’s Office at 706-886-7435 (not the Tax Commissioner’s Office).

WNEG asked Simmons what the next steps will be regarding the potential included in the legislation to institute a Floating Local Option Sales Tax to help recoup any lost revenue to the county due to the exemption.

WNEG News will continue to monitor this process and provide updates as they become available.