AT ISSUE: IS FAYETTE COUNTY LOOKING AT SMART RESIDENTIAL GROWTH?
Fayette County’s housing market is rebounding well since the recession, with property values (and property tax revenue) on the rise. As a planned community, Peachtree City still attracts residents but is nearly built out, although hundreds of new houses are under construction in the remaining space in Wilksmoor Village on its western edge. In Fayetteville, residential construction near Pinewood Studios is set to expand greatly, and the city is revising its comprehensive plan for the downtown area to include more live-work areas favored by younger residents.
Residents who live in the more rural areas of Fayette have expressed concern about too much development and the effects it can have on quality of life, traffic congestion and infrastructure such as stormwater capacity. So we asked readers whether new and different housing options are beneficial to the county.
Here are some responses:
There is a need for all types of housing in Fayette County, but careful control is required in order to place housing developments in settings that are appropriate. This means taking care to not damage established neighborhoods. For me, an ongoing concern is the development of appropriate infrastructure to handle new housing. For instance, after years of work, the Fayetteville west bypass is almost complete. But this road, the principal road serving the ever-expanding Pinewood Studios and the upcoming Pinewood Forrest megapolis, is only one lane in each direction, with no passing zones. This will severely limit capacity, and will require a redesign to at least four lanes. It was clear to most folks over 10 years ago that the large swath of empty land in that area would be fairly densely developed, but neighborhood resistance to change resulted in a reduction in scope for the bypass. This will take many millions of taxpayer dollars to correct. — Chuck Davenport
Georgia's Office of Planning and Budget estimates that by 2030, Fayette County will drop from the 22nd most-populated county in Georgia to 25th, with a projected population of 130,516. It is also important to note that Fayette County schools have seen a decline in enrollment the past eight years. Fayette County's tax digest has a low commercial-to-residential rate at 26 percent; the U.S. average is 36 percent. This means that residents in Fayette County carry a higher tax burden than in counties with a higher commercial/industrial ratio. Fayette County and the cities are working together to create a cohesive plan for the entire County. Through surveys and public input sessions, it is time for the people of Fayette to weigh in on how we want to grow. — Carlotta Ungaro, CEO, Fayette Chamber of Commerce
— Jill Howard Church for the AJC
Decatur residents will vote on five separate bills next month collectively expanding the city’s homestead exemptions. The one drawing the most attention is State Bill 343, authorizing “a vote to create an exemption from school taxes (excluding school bond taxes) for homeowners over 65.”
Getting this bill on the ballot was several years in the making. It was driven in large part by a small group of African-American residents whose Decatur roots go back decades. This includes former Mayor Elizabeth Wilson, who moved to Decatur in 1949, and who was one of the predominant drivers behind integrating the city’s schools in 1965.
The purpose is twofold. One is to maintain a semblance of racial and age diversity in a city losing both. Since 2000, for instance, Oakhurst in South Decatur (where Wilson lives) has gone from being 70 percent black to now less than 30 percent.
Second, the city wants to slow the replacement of seniors by families with school-aged children. City Schools Decatur’s enrollment has nearly doubled in the last 15 years, with a pretty consistent 7 to 12 percent increase per year since 2009.
Under SB 343 residents 65 and over would be exempt from paying the school ad valorem tax on their homes, and it’s estimated they would save $993 per $100,000.
But there are lingering questions about the exemption. School officials admit they really don’t know if taxes will increase for those ineligible from the exemption.
There is also no income cap included in the exemption. As local attorney Tom Stubbs pointed out in a group email he distributed last week, “Someone who makes $1 million per year will get the same benefit as someone making less than $25,000.”
The bill does include a five-year sunset provision. At the end of five years the city and school board could revise the exemption by considering an income cap, assessment limits or other tiered tax relief, like perhaps an exemption for those who’ve lived in the city for many years.
What do you think? Is SB 343 a good plan or idea that could cause financial problems? Send comments to communitynews@ajc.com.
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