- Lowndes County officials opted out of House Bill 581 in favor of a new tax resolution that increases homestead exemptions.
- The new resolution raises the standard homestead exemption, especially benefiting seniors.
- Watch the video to learn more about this historic move.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT
A big move in Lowndes County—local leaders have rejected House Bill 581 in favor of a new tax resolution they say does more to help homeowners, especially seniors.
House Bill 581 promised tax relief—but for many homeowners, it came with a catch. If Lowndes opted in, it would have meant tax breaks for some, but higher bills for others—especially those with homestead exemptions.
Instead, county school superintendent Sandra Wilcher says county municipalities are taking a different approach.
"I will say that this conversation really picked up over the last six weeks."
County Manager Paige Dukes says this conversation led to action—doubling the standard homestead exemption from $6,000 to $12,000.
Seniors 65 and older? Their exemption jumps from $10,000 to $40,000.
And a brand-new exemption for homeowners 70 and up? That’s set at $50,000.
"We're focused on our seniors. You know, very often seniors can come to local governments and two school systems and say we're just not the consumer of services that we once were. We want to make sure that what we're paying is proportionate to what we're receiving."
Wilcher says this decision reflects the community’s voice.
"This certainly says to the community that we've heard their voices and that we want to work as a community together. That’s part of being One Lowndes—it extends well beyond the walls of this school."
And she reassures neighbors this benefits the schools.
"With the funds we do receive from taxes, we have created premier school facilities and a great place for children to learn where we perform at a very high level."
Now, it’s up to the state legislature to approve the plan before it heads to voters for a referendum during the next voting cycle in November.
In Valdosta, I’m Malia Thomas, reporting for ABC27.
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