Brookhaven is holding three public meetings for residents to discuss exempting a homestead exemption bill that was passed and signed into law in 2024 in the name of “transparency.”
House Bill 581 limits an increase in the taxable value of a home to no more than the inflation rate that occurred over the prior year. HB 581 also authorizes municipalities with the new homestead exemption or equivalent to levy a new sales tax to be used for property tax relief.
If a municipality does not opt out, a home’s value may not increase by more than the rate of inflation, according to the Georgia Municipal Association, which could result in greater financial predictability for residents.
By law, a municipality must hold public discussion before making a formal decision on HB 581 by March 1.
The Fulton County School system is exploring opting out as well.
Brookhaven Mayor John Park released a statement that he “does not support opting out of this legislation as it will be an added protection for future taxpayers.”
Park’s letter said that “opting out of HB 581 would not affect Brookhaven homeowners unless Brookhaven’s current assessment freeze were to be removed in the future.”
“Because of the specific steps prescribed by the legislation, the council has only one chance to opt out. A future council, by law, will not have that opportunity,” the letter said. “Due to the permanent and serious nature of this decision, it’s important to respect the prescribed public process that is out in the open, where information is vetted thoroughly, and all opinions are considered in a formal public process.”
HB 581 was passed by the Georgia General Assembly during the 2024 legislative session and signed into law by Gov. Brian Kemp in April 2024.
Based on the 2024 tax digest, nearly 12,000 homesteaded residential properties in Brookhaven are already exempted to an average of $255,190 in non-taxed property value. This totals $3 billion in homesteaded residential property evaluation that is not taxed by the city.
Public hearings will be held at Brookhaven City Hall on Tuesday, Jan. 14 at 6:30 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 28 at 6:30 p.m., and Tuesday, Feb. 11, at 6:30 p.m.
“Brookhaven places a premium on transparency and public engagement. If there was ever anything that should be discussed in a public forum, this is it,” Park said.
