SB 343, which provides the most significant tax relief from Decatur school taxes for citizens 65 and over, passed the House Wednesday with only two days remaining in the 2016 General Assembly.
The vote was 155-1. As of Wednesday afternoon the lone dissenter remained unknown, though according to Mayor Patti Garrett it wasn’t Rep. Beth Beskin, R-Atlanta, who tabled the bill last week.
School Board Chair Garrett Goebel said he was “confident” Governor Nathan Deal would sign the bill, precursor to its going on the ballot in November.
If passed, the law would exempt residents 65 and over from paying the school ad valorem tax on their homes. Goebel has estimated seniors would save $993 per $100,000 house.
Garrett said she was particularly pleased with the bill’s “bipartisan support.”
Meantime Superintendent David Dude isn’t ready to hazard a guess on the bill’s chances in November.
“With one or two exceptions, I’ve only talked to people who favor the bill,” he said. “But it’s way too early to say if it has that same kind of support in the community overall.”
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