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DEL.ICIO.USBurkhalter, Cagle say homestead grants to be restored — this year
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A ranking House member and the lieutenant governor on Tuesday told a group of metro Atlanta mayors that they intend to restore $429 million in state-paid property tax grants that are supposed to be passed down to homeowners.
At least this year.
Gov. Sonny Perdue this summer suspended the grants to cope with sharp budget shortfalls and a foundering state economy.
Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle and House Speaker pro tem Mark Burkhalter (R-John’s Creek) were featured speakers at a gathering of the Metro Atlanta Mayors Association at East Lake Golf Club in DeKalb County.
Burkhalter called the grants “tempting, low-hanging fruit,” but said the House would abide by its commitment to the tax breaks, made last session. Cities, counties and school boards have complained that the suspension will force them to raise taxes in their communities.
The House leader conceded that the grants aren’t particularly popular in the Legislature. “Politicians like to get credit for things they do. And this is one of those tax cuts that was passed through Roy Barnes’ administration, and many in the General Assembly feel like we don’t get any credit for it,” Burkhalter said. But he also called the tax breaks “well-deserved.”
Otherwise, the No. 2 ranking House member said, Georgians should expect no tax cuts. “We don’t have the money for that,” he said.
Burkhalter told the mayors that the House leadership will try and revive failed 2007 legislation that would allow local governments to approve a new 1 percent sales tax to pay for transportation projects.
When asked by one mayor if that’s the same as a tax increase, Burkhalter replied: “We’re not going to raise taxes. Voters decide on their own if they want to invest — not spend, but invest — money in the infrastructure. Politically there’s not the will — and there shouldn’t be the will — to raise taxes.”
The Georgia Municipal Association was the organization that walked point when battling House Speaker Glenn Richardson’s effort to abolish property taxes last year. Interestingly, Burkhalter urged mayors at the meeting to come lobby the Legislature as individuals.
Comments
By Go Fish - by the Fisherman
November 19, 2008 11:22 AM | Link to this
What? The tax grants are a good idea that legislators want, but because the idea came from a Democrat the Republican majority hesitates. Does Burkhalter think that people really care who gets credit…or is that just how his elected Republicans think? What a sorry way to go about “representing” the peoples business. If it’s all about credit, I guess the Republicans are going to take credit for the loss of state revenue due to them enacting excessive corporate tax credits to their buddies?