The Chattooga County Board of Education invites community members to participate in three upcoming public hearings to discuss the decision to opt out of House Bill 581 (HB 581), a statewide floating homestead exemption. The hearings will allow residents to share their perspectives on this significant decision, which impacts the future funding of Chattooga County Schools.

The first hearing will be held this Friday, January 17th at the Chattooga County Education Center in Pennville at 7 AM. Residents are reminded that the school’s public meeting policy will be in place for this meeting. Those who would like to speak at the meeting should present the public participation meeting form at least 24-hours in advance of the meeting to the superintendent at the school system’s central office on Middle School Road in Summerville.

House Bill 581, passed in 2024 by the Georgia General Assembly, limits annual increases in taxable home values to the prior year’s inflation rate. While it provides tax relief for homeowners, it also poses challenges for school districts, potentially reducing local tax revenue without offering options to recoup losses through new sales taxes.

Correction: No public participation form is required!!!!!!!!!!! WZQZ had incorrectly posted information.  We regret the error.