On the final day of the legislative session, Conservative groups (and Peach State property owners) celebrated the passage of Senate Bill 33, a last-minute maneuver that managed to lower property taxes. Not so fast, said state Rep. Scott Holcomb, D-Atlanta, who in a letter sent to Gov. Brian Kemp Monday argued that the legislation is unconstitutional because any revenue-raising legislation must originate in the House, not the Senate. Kemp’s office will have to review the legislation, and consider any legal challenges to it, leaving the property tax cuts DRIFTING…
Atlanta, Fulton Co. square off in tax fight
The City of Atlanta has long used tax allocation districts (TADs) as an economic development tool, leveraging property tax increases to pay for local infrastructure projects. But the Fulton County Commission has slammed on the brakes, voting 4-1 to reject a proposed 30-year extension of Atlanta’s TADs. That sets up a major budgetary clash, as the Fulton TADs would be expected to generate over a billion dollars over that period. Now the county will vote on TADs on a case by case basis, with stricter oversight and enforcement, leaving Atlanta’s money faucet DRIFTING…
