At its Thursday, Feb. 13 meeting, the Clarke County Board of Education voted 5-2, with two members absent from the meeting, to opt out of the statewide adjusted base year ad valorem homestead exemption for the Clarke County School District.
Georgia House Bill 581 establishes a statewide floating homestead exemption that limits the annual increase in property-tax assessments on homesteaded properties to the inflation rate of the previous year. The legislation provides school districts only one opportunity to opt out of the floating exemption, and local boards of education must approve an opt-out resolution and submit it to the Office of the Georgia Secretary of State by March 1, 2025.
The Clarke County BOE voted in December 2024 to initiate the opt-out process, which requires holding three public hearings before a final vote can be held. These hearings were held Jan. 14, Jan. 28, and Feb. 6. As a result of the Feb. 13 vote, the board will submit the approved resolution to the state in advance of the March 1 deadline.