After hearing the pleas of citizens to opt out of a new state law capping property taxes, the Cobb Board of Commissioners voted unanimously Tuesday to do just that.
By a 4-0 vote, commissioners voted against adopting HB 581, a law passed by the Georgia legislature in 2024 designed to limit property tax increases at the local level.
Georgia voters later approved a Constitutional amendment that tied property tax increases to the previous year’s inflation rate.
But citizens speaking during public comment and commissioners agreed at Tuesday’s meeting that the current homestead exemptions in Cobb are more beneficial.
Commissioner JoAnn Birrell of District 3 in East Cobb said that she received 215 messages in support of opting out of the law, and only two in favor of it.
“What we’ve had in place is better for the citizens and is beneficial for taxpayers,” she said to loud applause right before the vote.
Cobb’s decision follows similar action by the Cobb Board of Education, the Marietta City Council and Marietta Board of Education and city governments in Smyrna, Powder Springs, Acworth and Kennesaw.
Local governments have until March 1 under the new law to decide whether to opt out.
But speakers claimed Tuesday that HB 581 was altered by lobbyists to trigger automatic tax increases that elected bodies could do nothing about.
Some called HB 581 is “a shameless con” and others called it a “joke.”
Resident Ann Parsons called it “a politician’s dream. More money. No consequences.”
Chairwoman Lisa Cupid made the motion to pass the opt-out resolution, saying that “we feel the pain of our citizens who are here” and “we are fortunate to live in Cobb” because of the existing homestead exemptions.
In other action Tuesday, commissioners voted 4-0 to begin a process that would call for a referendum in 2026 to renew the Special Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST), which collects a one-percent sales tax to fund county construction, maintenance, improvements and technology operations.
The current SPLOST ends at the end of 2027.
The resolution passed Tuesday did not indicate how long the next SPLOST collection period might be, nor did it provide an estimate for how much money would be raised.
Birrell asked deputy county manager Jimmy Gisi if it was “premature” to ask for those details.
He said it would be, because the county first must meet with officials from Cobb’s cities as well as county staff to begin developing a project list.
The maximum SPLOST collection period is six years.
The proposed timeline leading up to a 2026 referendum (click here) would include meetings with the other cities this year, followed by an Oct. 1 deadline for a draft project list to be submitted.
In early 2026, the county would conduct public input and town hall meetings, with commissioners to approve the final project list next April.
Commissioners also would have to vote separately to hold a referendum in November 2026.
Related:
- Cobb Medical Examiner identifies ‘cremains’ at funeral home
- April deadline nears to file for Cobb homestead exemption
- Former Cobb Tax Assessor named to new county role
- Richardson’s office declared vacant after appeals court rejected
- Cupid to hold community meeting at NE Cobb center
- Cobb government seeks opting out of homestead exemption law
- Richardson resumes seat as Cobb commission drama continues
- Cobb government seeks feedback in ‘brand equity’ survey
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