Decatur Schools Senior Tax Cut To Be Added To November Ballot

DECATUR, GA — Gov. Brian Kemp signed a new bill last week that replaces an expiring version of Decatur's senior homestead exemption — which reduces the taxable value of a home — and now city of Decatur voters will have the power to turn it into law this fall.

Kemp signed Senate Bill 292 into law May 3, but did not post this update on the Georgia General Assembly's website until this week. SB 292 replaces the previous version of the homestead exemption for Decatur residents age 65 and older — which went into effect in 2017 and is set to end in 2021 — that applies to the property taxes collected for the City Schools of Decatur.

Prior to this bill, all seniors age 65 and older living at a property in Decatur's city limits qualified for this specific homestead exemption, and there was no cap for how much of a tax cut the resident could receive. The exemption cost the school district an extra $3.5 million in reduced revenue in 2019, and an estimated $5.7 million in 2020, Decaturish.com reported.

"SB 292 provides tax relief for Decatur seniors by providing an exemption on $200,000 of assessed home value ($400,000 of appraised value) for seniors aged 65-69, if their combined household income does not exceed $53,000 (80 percent of the median income for the Atlanta area)," the district said in a statement about the bill's passage. "Seniors aged 70 and above will also receive the same exemption on $200,000 of assessed home value ($400,000 of appraised value) but without an income cap."

The original language of the bill included a five-year sunset to allow for future reevaluation, but the legislature reduced this sunset timeline to two years.

Now that Kemp signed the bill, it's up to Decatur voters to turn it into law at the polls in November. If approved, the exemptions will go into effect Jan. 1, 2022 and remain in place through 2023.

Senate Bill 293 was also sent to the governor's desk for approval, but the legislative website has not shown whether it's been approved for vetoed. SB 293, if approved, would ensure that CSD boundaries extend in conjunction with any annexation done by the city of Decatur.

Decaturish reported that state Sen. Elena Parent, who sponsored both bills, said Kemp already signed SB 293 into law.