Hearing complaints over property taxes, some Georgia lawmakers look to limit rising values

By JEFF AMY
Associated Press

ATLANTA (AP) — Some Georgia lawmakers are looking for ways to provide relief from property taxes. The proposals are coming as increases in home values have caused taxes to rise. Georgia’s Senate Finance Committee will consider a bill Monday to limit increases in a home’s assessed value to 3% per year. Meanwhile, Republican House Speaker Jon Burns proposes doubling the state’s homestead tax exemption. That likely would cut tax bills by nearly $100 million statewide. Georgia is far from the only state where lawmakers are reacting to voter discontent over higher levies. But some in Georgia communities that already have value caps say they create inequities.