Georgia families need property tax relief, but Burt Jones failed to deliver
For many Georgia families, owning a home is still one of the clearest parts of the American Dream. It means stability, responsibility, and the chance to build a life in the community you love. That’s why rising property taxes are so consequential - they’re making it harder for families to hold onto what they’ve worked for.
Across Georgia, families are feeling pressure from every direction. Groceries cost more. Utility bills are up. Insurance is up. And property taxes continue to rise in ways that are getting harder to absorb.
It’s a real affordability issue that affects whether families can stay in their homes, turning homeownership into a heavier burden for too many Georgians.
That is why the final days of this year’s legislative session were so important.
The Georgia House passed a proposal (House Bill 1116) that would have put a meaningful check on rising property taxes. It included a 3% cap on the annual growth of local and school property tax levies or the rate of inflation, whichever was higher. It also gave local communities additional tools to manage how they raise revenue. It was one of the most significant property tax reform proposals Georgia has seen in decades.
Lt. Gov. Burt Jones led the Senate in rejecting that approach.
Senate rejected House property relief bill
In a 24 to 28 vote, the Senate stripped the 3% levy cap, the strongest protection for homeowners in the bill, and passed a weaker version that will do far less to ease the burden families are carrying.
When the Senate had a chance to deliver real relief, Burt Jones led it in the other direction.
That matters because affordability is not a secondary issue. It is one of the central issues facing this state, and the next governor will play a major role in whether Georgia remains a place where families can build a life and stay in it.
A governor sets priorities and drives the debate. A governor can either fight to make life more affordable or settle for half measures that leave families in the same position they were in before.
This vote also raises a broader question. If you are willing to spend millions of your own money to win a political race, it is fair to ask whether you truly understand the pressure many Georgia families are under right now.
Most Georgians do not have the luxury of writing a personal check when costs go up. They feel it in their mortgage, their grocery bill, their power bill, and their property taxes. That pressure is real, and Georgia needs a governor who takes it seriously.
Next governor must take affordability seriously
Rising property taxes are putting more pressure on Georgia homeowners. Retirees on fixed incomes feel squeezed. Young families face one more barrier to buying a home. And longtime homeowners start to question whether they can afford to stay where they’ve built their lives.
If Georgia wants to remain the No. 1 state in the nation to live, work, and raise a family, we have to take affordability seriously. We do not stay No. 1 by making it harder for families to own a home and hold onto it.
That means pursuing real solutions. It means putting meaningful limits on how fast property tax levies can grow. It means bringing more transparency to the way property taxes are calculated, so homeowners can better understand what they are paying and why. And it means working with local communities to reduce the long-term burden on homeowners instead of continually shifting more costs onto them.
Those are the kinds of priorities Georgia’s next governor must bring to this office. The people of this state need more than promises. They need leadership that understands the pressure they are under and is willing to do something about it.
On the campaign trail, Burt Jones often uses the line, “If you want to know what someone is going to do in the future, look at what they’ve done in the past.”
During his time as lieutenant governor, Jones has consistently shown Georgians he cares more about taking care of his own family than theirs.
On property tax relief, Burt Jones showed Georgia families where he stands.
Georgia families deserve better.
Chris Carr is Georgia’s attorney general, a statewide elected office. He is running for Republican nomination for governor. Among his opponents are Lt. Gov. Burt Jones.
