| 1 | 1 | | 25 LC 28 0648 |
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| 2 | 2 | | House Resolution 250 |
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| 3 | 3 | | By: Representatives Washburn of the 144 |
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| 4 | 4 | | th |
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| 5 | 5 | | , Powell of the 33 |
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| 6 | 6 | | rd |
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| 7 | 7 | | , Ridley of the 6 |
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| 8 | 8 | | th |
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| 9 | 9 | | , Ridley of |
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| 10 | 10 | | the 22 |
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| 11 | 11 | | nd |
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| 12 | 12 | | , Stephens of the 164 |
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| 13 | 13 | | th |
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| 14 | 14 | | , and others |
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| 15 | 15 | | A RESOLUTION |
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| 16 | 16 | | Proposing an amendment to the Constitution so as to provide that the governing authority of |
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| 17 | 17 | | 1 |
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| 18 | 18 | | any county or consolidated government shall be authorized to adopt an alternative method2 |
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| 19 | 19 | | of appraisal and assessment of real property located within such county for taxation; to3 |
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| 20 | 20 | | provide for conditions and limitations; to provide for legislative findings; to provide for4 |
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| 21 | 21 | | related matters; to provide for the submission of this amendment for ratification or rejection;5 |
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| 22 | 22 | | and for other purposes.6 |
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| 23 | 23 | | BE IT RESOLVED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:7 |
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| 24 | 24 | | SECTION 1.8 |
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| 25 | 25 | | (a) The General Assembly finds and determines that it is appropriate and advisable to9 |
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| 26 | 26 | | provide for a local option for an alternative method of establishing the value of property for10 |
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| 27 | 27 | | the assessment of taxes.11 |
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| 28 | 28 | | (b) The General Assembly further finds and declares that by allowing for a local option of12 |
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| 29 | 29 | | using the most recent sales price for property as the method for determining the value of13 |
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| 30 | 30 | | property would lead to the following beneficial effects:14 |
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| 31 | 31 | | (1) Provide greater transparency for taxpayers;15 |
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| 32 | 32 | | (2) Eliminate ambiguity in the annual appraisal and assessment process;16 |
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| 33 | 33 | | H. R. 250 |
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| 34 | 34 | | - 1 - 25 LC 28 0648 |
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| 35 | 35 | | (3) Eliminate the need for taxpayer appeals, except in instances of a recent transaction |
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| 36 | 36 | | 17 |
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| 37 | 37 | | or improvement concerning the real property;18 |
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| 38 | 38 | | (4) Greatly lower the administrative costs related to assessing real property for taxation;19 |
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| 39 | 39 | | (5) Reduce the number of appeals to the superior court, thus reducing costs;20 |
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| 40 | 40 | | (6) Reduce administrative costs related to preparing and mailing annual appraisals and21 |
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| 41 | 41 | | assessments;22 |
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| 42 | 42 | | (7) Make digest data available to taxing authorities much earlier in the year, which would23 |
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| 43 | 43 | | allow for more precise forecasting and budgeting;24 |
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| 44 | 44 | | (8) Create a more predictable and consistent digest;25 |
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| 45 | 45 | | (9) Require less time and resources for state approval of the digest;26 |
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| 46 | 46 | | (10) Help eliminate the annual discussions on capping value increases on real property;27 |
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| 47 | 47 | | (11) Eliminate the need for exemptions that attempt to cap or freeze property value28 |
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| 48 | 48 | | increases, which are administratively cumbersome and confusing to taxpayers;29 |
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| 49 | 49 | | (12) Reduce the potential for interference and pressure applied to the valuation process;30 |
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| 50 | 50 | | and31 |
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| 51 | 51 | | (13) Help address unhealthy types of gentrification which may force people from their32 |
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| 52 | 52 | | homes.33 |
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| 53 | 53 | | SECTION 2.34 |
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| 54 | 54 | | Article VII, Section I of the Constitution is amended in Paragraph III by adding a new35 |
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| 55 | 55 | | subparagraph to read as follows:36 |
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| 56 | 56 | | "(i)(1)(A) The governing authority of any county or consolidated government shall |
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| 57 | 57 | | 37 |
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| 58 | 58 | | be authorized to adopt an alternative method of appraising and assessing real property38 |
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| 59 | 59 | | for ad valorem taxes levied for all purposes within the county in accordance with the39 |
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| 60 | 60 | | provisions of this subparagraph (i).40 |
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| 61 | 61 | | (B) A governing authority may initiate or revoke the use of such alternative method41 |
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| 62 | 62 | | prescribed by this subparagraph (i) upon passage of an ordinance or resolution by a42 |
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| 63 | 63 | | H. R. 250 |
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| 64 | 64 | | - 2 - 25 LC 28 0648 |
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| 65 | 65 | | majority of such governing authority. A governing authority may provide that the43 |
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| 66 | 66 | | effectiveness of such ordinance or resolution shall be contingent upon approval of a44 |
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| 67 | 67 | | majority of voters in a referendum thereon. However, a revocation by a governing45 |
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| 68 | 68 | | authority shall not occur within five years from the date the alternative method initially46 |
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| 69 | 69 | | becomes effective.47 |
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| 70 | 70 | | (2) The alternative method of appraising and assessing real property for ad valorem48 |
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| 71 | 71 | | taxation shall use the appraised fair market value as of January 1 of the year following49 |
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| 72 | 72 | | the adoption of such alternative method as shown on the tax digest of the county on such50 |
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| 73 | 73 | | date for such real property. Thereafter, the appraised fair market value of the property51 |
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| 74 | 74 | | shall be the most recent purchase price for such property unless there is a substantial52 |
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| 75 | 75 | | improvement made to the property. A substantial improvement shall be the construction53 |
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| 76 | 76 | | of, an addition to, or replacement of structures on such real estate that increase the fair54 |
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| 77 | 77 | | market value of the real estate by an amount in excess of $50,000.00. Upon such event,55 |
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| 78 | 78 | | the property may be reappraised and reassessed and the fair market value reestablished56 |
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| 79 | 79 | | for ad valorem tax purposes. The appraised value of such real property shall change only57 |
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| 80 | 80 | | upon a subsequent transfer of such property or a substantial improvement to the property.58 |
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| 81 | 81 | | (3) The alternative method of appraising and assessing real property for ad valorem59 |
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| 82 | 82 | | taxation shall be uniform for all real property within the county. Real property appraised60 |
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| 83 | 83 | | pursuant to this alternative method shall be assessed for taxation at the same rate and61 |
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| 84 | 84 | | percentage of value as all other tangible property in the county.62 |
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| 85 | 85 | | (4) The implementation and administration of this subparagraph (i) shall be further63 |
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| 86 | 86 | | provided by general law in a manner consistent with this subparagraph (i)."64 |
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| 87 | 87 | | SECTION 3.65 |
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| 88 | 88 | | The above proposed amendment to the Constitution shall be published and submitted as66 |
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| 89 | 89 | | provided in Article X, Section I, Paragraph II of the Constitution. The ballot submitting the67 |
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| 90 | 90 | | above proposed amendment shall have written or printed thereon the following:68 |
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| 91 | 91 | | H. R. 250 |
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| 92 | 92 | | - 3 - 25 LC 28 0648 |
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| 93 | 93 | | "( ) YES |
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| 94 | 94 | | 69 |
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| 95 | 95 | | ( ) NO70 |
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| 96 | 96 | | 71 |
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| 97 | 97 | | 72 |
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| 98 | 98 | | 73 |
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| 99 | 99 | | Shall the Constitution of Georgia be amended so as to provide that the |
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| 100 | 100 | | governing authority of any county or consolidated government shall be |
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| 101 | 101 | | authorized to adopt an alternative method of appraisal and assessment of all |
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| 102 | 102 | | real property for the ad valorem taxes levied on such property within such |
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| 103 | 103 | | taxing jurisdiction?" |
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| 104 | 104 | | All persons desiring to vote in favor of ratifying the proposed amendment shall vote "Yes." |
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| 105 | 105 | | 74 |
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| 106 | 106 | | All persons desiring to vote against ratifying the proposed amendment shall vote "No." If75 |
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| 107 | 107 | | such amendment shall be ratified as provided in said Paragraph of the Constitution, it shall76 |
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| 108 | 108 | | become a part of the Constitution of this state.77 |
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| 109 | 109 | | H. R. 250 |
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| 110 | 110 | | - 4 - |
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