Amendment would suppress property tax hikes

Published 9:38 am Wednesday, March 1, 2006

ATLANTA — The House could vote this week on a constitutional amendment aimed at suppressing rising property tax rates.

The proposal would limit assessment hikes on property taxes to 3 percent each year, changing the “fundamentally unfair” system that taxes homeowners on the potential worth of their homes, said state Rep. Ed Lindsey, the bill’s sponsor.

The amendment unanimously passed a House committee Tuesday but still must muster a two-thirds vote from each chamber and be approved by a majority of Georgia voters before becoming law.

Lindsey, R-Atlanta, argued that the bill would also help communities battle gentrification.

State Rep. Virgil Fludd, D-Fayetteville, expressed concern that the bid could have some “unintended consequences” on the funding of local school districts. Ultimately, though, he and other Democrats on the committee supported the proposal.

“This is much more comprehensive and inclusive,” said state Rep. LaNett Stanley-Turner, who said she favors the proposal over piecemeal property tax freezes.

Brad Carver, a lobbyist for the Georgia Homeowners Tax Coalition, said limiting tax hikes to 3 percent will help keep neighborhoods intact.

“A lot of homeowners have seen dramatic property tax increases,” he said. “We’ve seen 50, 60, 70 percent increases in property taxes. We see it most dramatically in metro Atlanta, but it’s all across the state.”

Under the proposal, property taxes would be capped at 3 percent each year or the rate of inflation, whichever is lesser. The property would be excluded from the cap if it is sold, significantly renovated or if new construction additions were added.

The plan is backed by a host of Republican legislators, including House Majority Leader Jerry Keen, one of the House’s most powerful lawmakers.