Voters were deciding the fate of two proposed amendments to the Georgia Constitution and two other statewide ballot measures Tuesday.
Voters appeared to support a measure that would allow the suspension of compensation for certain state officers and members of the General Assembly.
Currently, state officials suspended from office because they have been indicted on felony charges still receive their pay. Under the proposed constitutional amendment, key state officials would no longer collect their pay if they were indicted on a felony charge related to their performance in office. Officials who are exonerated of felony charges would return to their jobs and receive back pay.
In addition to legislators, the amendment would cover the governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, attorney general, state school superintendent, commissioner of agriculture, commissioner of insurance and commissioner of labor.
Voters also appeared to support a constitutional amendment that would provide for temporary local tax relief after disasters.
The amendment would allow local governments and school boards to provide temporary property tax relief to the owners of properties that are severely damaged or destroyed in a natural disaster, such as a tornado or hurricane. The provision would only apply to properties in areas that receive a national natural disaster declaration.
Voters appeared to support two statewide measures that would grant ad valorem tax relief to certain property owners.
The first measure would exempt equipment used in timber production and harvesting from property taxes.
The second one would expand an ad valorem tax exemption for family-owned farms by allowing joint ventures to qualify for the exemption, as long as each party qualifies separately as a family farm. The measure also would add dairy products and unfertilized eggs of poultry to the list of products qualifying for the exemption.
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