Big tax breaks for homeowners, the incorporation of south Fulton County and curbs on the Tax Commissioner Arthur Ferdinand’s ability to profit from tax liens will be back on the General Assembly’s agenda in 2015.
The Fulton County legislative delegation discussed those and other measures Monday morning – an indication that the upcoming legislative session will be chock full of controversy for Georgia’s largest county.
The local delegation discussed its priorities for 2015 for Fulton County, its schools and cities. The Republicans who control the delegation made it clear their priorities include:
*Doubling the size of Fulton’s homestead exemption to $60,000. That would mean the owner of a $150,000 home would pay no county property taxes, and tens of thousands of others would get big discounts. A bill to do that passed the House of Representatives in 2013 but died in the Senate earlier this year.
*Prohibiting the county tax commissioner from profiting when people are late on their taxes. Last year an AJC investigation found that Ferdinand personally collects 50 cents each time his office sells a tax debt to a private company or a property owner pays off a lien —- boosting his salary by up to $31,000 annually. The practice is permitted under an obscure state law. A bill to end the practice died in the Senate this year.
Democrats also have some priorities. Rep. Roger Bruce, D-Atlanta, plans to introduce a bill to allow residents of south Fulton County to vote on forming a city. It’s the last part of Fulton County that remains unincorporated. A similar bill passed the House earlier this year but didn’t get a vote in the Senate.
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