Property owners beware. Some counties are sadly misleading taxpayers to believe the Legislature is responsible for any potential property tax increases this year. They suggest this is due to there being no Homeowners Tax Relief Grant (HTRG) in the Fiscal Year 2010 state budget.
When making such claims, it’s important to note that the legislature does not have the constitutional authority to raise property taxes. Only commissioners and local school boards can make that decision. Transparency and honesty are especially important in government, so let’s set the record straight.
Labels: homeowners tax relief grant, homestead exemption, HTRG, property tax
Since 1999, the Georgia General Assembly and Governor have provided a credit on homesteaded property tax bills called the Homeowners Tax Relief Grant (HTRG). This credit resulted in an annual reduction of $150 to $175 to your property tax bill.
Due to financial strains on the state budget, the Georgia General Assembly and the Governor did not fund this credit for the 2009 property tax bills. Therefore, the bills currently being received by property owners do not have this credit applied as in past years. The HTRG credit is not expected to be funded again unless state revenues increase significantly.
Labels: 2009, georgia, homeowners tax relief grant, homestead exemption, property tax
