08
LC 36 0963
Senate
Bill 495
By:
Senator Grant of the 25th
AS
PASSED
AN
ACT
To
amend an Act providing a homestead exemption from all Baldwin County School
District ad valorem taxes for educational purposes for certain residents of that
school district who have annual incomes not exceeding $16,000.00 and who are 65
years of age or older, approved March 18, 1985 (Ga. L. 1985, p. 3835), so as to
increase the income limitation to $40,000.00; to increase qualified homestead
property from five acres to ten acres; to provide for related matters; to
provide for a referendum, effective dates, and automatic repeal; to repeal
conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
BE
IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION
1.
An
Act providing a homestead exemption from all Baldwin County School District ad
valorem taxes for educational purposes for certain residents of that school
district who have annual incomes not exceeding $16,000.00 and who are 65 years
of age or older, approved March 18, 1985 (Ga. L. 1985, p. 3835), is amended by
revising paragraph (3) of Section 1 as follows:
"(3)
'Homestead' means homestead as defined and qualified in Code Section 48-5-40 of
the O.C.G.A., with the additional qualification that it shall include not more
than ten contiguous acres of homestead property."
SECTION
2.
Said
Act is further amended by revising Section 2 as follows:
"SECTION
2.
Each
resident of the Baldwin County School District who is 65 years of age or older
is granted an exemption on that person´s homestead from all Baldwin County
School District ad valorem taxes for educational purposes for the full value of
that homestead if that person´s income, together with the income of all
members of the family residing within such homestead, does not exceed $40,000.00
for the immediately preceding taxable year."
SECTION
3.
Unless
prohibited by the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965, as amended, the election
superintendent of the Baldwin County shall call and conduct an election as
provided in this section for the purpose of submitting this Act to the electors
of the Baldwin County School District for approval or rejection. The election
superintendent shall conduct that election on the date of the November, 2008,
state-wide general election and shall issue the call and conduct that election
as provided by general law. The election superintendent shall cause the date
and purpose of the election to be published once a week for two weeks
immediately preceding the date thereof in the official organ of Baldwin County.
The ballot shall have written or printed thereon the words:
|
"( ) YES
( ) NO
|
Shall
the Act be approved which changes the homestead exemption from all Baldwin
County School District ad valorem taxes for educational purposes for that school
district on homesteads of five acres or less for certain residents of that
district who have annual incomes not exceeding $16,000.00 and who are 65 years
of age or older so as to increase the income limitation to $40,000.00 and to
increase qualified homestead property from five to ten acres?"
|
All
persons desiring to vote for approval of the Act shall vote "Yes," and all
persons desiring to vote for rejection of the Act shall vote "No." If more than
one-half of the votes cast on such question are for approval of the Act,
Sections 1 and 2 of this Act shall become of full force and effect on January 1,
2009, and shall be applicable to all taxable years beginning on or after January
1, 2009. If the Act is not so approved or if the election is not conducted as
provided in this section, Sections 1 and 2 of this Act shall not become
effective, and this Act shall be automatically repealed on the first day of
January immediately following that election date. The expense of such election
shall be borne by Baldwin County. It shall be the election
superintendent´s duty to certify the result thereof to the Secretary of
State.
SECTION
4.
Except
as otherwise provided in Section 3 of this Act, this Act shall become effective
upon its approval by the Governor or upon its becoming law without such
approval.
SECTION
5.
All
laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.