Georgia 2025 2025-2026 Regular Session

Georgia House Bill HB761 Enrolled / Bill

Filed 04/02/2025

                    25 LC 47 3563/AP
House Bill 761 (AS PASSED HOUSE AND SENATE)
By: Representatives Clark of the 108
th
, Lim of the 98
th
, and McClain of the 109
th
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend an Act to provide a homestead exemption from all City of Lilburn ad valorem
1
taxes for city purposes, including but not limited to taxes to retire bonded indebtedness in the2
amount of $5,000.00 of the assessed value of the homestead for certain residents of the City3
of Lilburn and in the amount of $10,000.00 of the assessed value of the homestead for certain4
other residents of the City of Lilburn who are 65 years of age or over or who are disabled,5
approved March 22, 1990 (Ga. L. 1990, p. 4469), so as to provide an additional homestead6
exemption in an amount equal to the amount by which the current year assessed value of a7
homestead exceeds the prior year assessed value of such homestead by more than 8 percent;8
to exclude taxes to retire bond indebtedness from certain exemptions provided; to increase9
the homestead exemption for certain residents who are 65 years of age or over; to provide10
that the expanded exemption for residents who are 65 years of age or over shall not apply to11
more than one acre of property; to provide for applicability; to provide for compliance with12
constitutional requirements; to provide for a referendum, effective dates, and automatic13
repeal; to provide for mandatory execution of election and judicial remedies regarding failure14
to comply; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.15
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:16
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SECTION 1.
17
An Act to provide a homestead exemption from all City of Lilburn ad valorem taxes for city18
purposes, including but not limited to taxes to retire bonded indebtedness in the amount of19
$5,000.00 of the assessed value of the homestead for certain residents of the City of Lilburn20
and in the amount of $10,000.00 of the assessed value of the homestead for certain other21
residents of the City of Lilburn who are 65 years of age or over or who are disabled,22
approved March 22, 1990 (Ga. L. 1990, p. 4469), is amended by revising subsections (a) and23
(b) of and adding a new subsection to Section 1 as follows:24
"(a) Each resident of the City of Lilburn is granted an exemption on that person's25
homestead from all City of Lilburn ad valorem taxes for any city purposes in an amount26
equal to the amount by which the current year assessed value of the homestead exceeds the27
prior year assessed value of such homestead by more than 8 percent and the amount of28
$5,000.00 of the assessed value of that resident's homestead, as defined and qualified in29
Code Section 48-5-40 of the O.C.G.A., except that land which is included in that30
homestead and which exceeds one acre shall not have the value thereof exempt under this31
subsection.  Upon qualifying and receiving the homestead exemption provided for in32
subsection (b) of this section, such resident shall cease to be qualified to receive the33
homestead exemption provided for in this subsection.34
(a.1)  Each resident of the City of Lilburn who is 65 years of age or older is granted an35
exemption on that person's homestead from City of Lilburn ad valorem taxes for city36
purposes in the amount of $50,000.00 of the assessed value of that resident's homestead,37
as defined and qualified in Code Section 48-5-40 of the O.C.G.A., except that land which38
is not included in that homestead and which exceeds one acre shall not have the value39
thereof exempt under this subsection.40
(b)  Each resident of the City of Lilburn who is disabled is granted an exemption on that41
person's homestead from all City of Lilburn ad valorem taxes for any city purposes,42
including but not limited to taxes to retire bond indebtedness, in the amount of $10,000.0043
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of the assessed value of that resident's homestead, as defined and qualified in Code Section
44
48-5-40 of the O.C.G.A., except that land which is not included in that homestead and45
which exceeds one acre shall not have the value thereof exempt under this subsection."46
SECTION 2.47
In accordance with the requirements of Article VII, Section II of the Constitution of the State48
of Georgia, this Act shall not become law unless it receives the requisite two-thirds' majority49
vote in both the Senate and the House of Representatives.50
SECTION 3.51
The municipal election superintendent of the City of Lilburn shall call and conduct an52
election as provided in this section for the purpose of submitting this Act to the electors of53
the City of Lilburn for approval or rejection.  The municipal election superintendent shall54
conduct that election on the Tuesday following the first Monday in November, 2025, and55
shall issue the call and conduct such election as provided by general law.  The municipal56
election superintendent shall cause the date and purpose of the election to be published once57
a week for two weeks immediately preceding the date thereof in the official organ of58
Gwinnett County.  The ballot shall have written or printed thereon the words:59
"(  )  YES60
 61
  (  )  NO62
  63
 64
 65
 66
Shall the Act be approved which provides an additional homestead
exemption from City of Lilburn ad valorem taxes for city purposes in an
amount equal to the amount by which the current year assessed value
exceeds the prior year assessed value of such homestead by more than 8
percent and which increases the value of the exemption for residents 65
years of age or older from $10,000.00 to $50,000.00 of the assessed value
of the homestead?"
All persons desiring to vote for approval of the Act shall vote "Yes," and all persons desiring
67
to vote for rejection of the Act shall vote "No."  If more than one-half of the votes cast on68
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such question are for approval of the Act, Section 1 of this Act shall become of full force and
69
effect on January 1, 2026.  If the Act is not so approved or if the election is not conducted70
as provided in this section, Section 1 of this Act shall not become effective, and this Act shall71
be automatically repealed on the 365th calendar day following the election date provided for72
in this section.  The expense of such election shall be borne by the City of Lilburn.  It shall73
be the municipal election superintendent's duty to certify the result thereof to the Secretary74
of State.  The provisions of this section shall be mandatory upon the municipal election75
superintendent and are not intended as directory.  If the municipal election superintendent76
fails or refuses to comply with this section, any elector of the City of Lilburn may apply for77
a writ of mandamus to compel the municipal election superintendent to perform his or her78
duties under this section.  If the court finds that the municipal election superintendent has not79
complied with this section, the court shall fashion appropriate relief requiring the municipal80
election superintendent to call and conduct such election on the date required by this section81
or on the next date authorized for special elections provided for in Code Section 21-2-54082
of the O.C.G.A.83
SECTION 4.84
Except as otherwise provided in Section 3 of this Act, this Act shall become effective upon85
its approval by the Governor or upon its becoming law without such approval.86
SECTION 5.87
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.88
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