Monday, November 3, 2014

State rep says DeKalb tax freeze is his top priority for 2015


Rep. Mike Jacobs (R-Brookhaven) says his top priority in 2015 will be making the property tax assessment freeze in DeKalb County available to homeowners permanently. Rep. Jacobs is running unopposed for reelection to the Georgia House of Representatives.

The League of Women Voters of Georgia asked candidates for office, “If elected, what would be your top three priorities and how would you work to achieve results?” Jacobs answered:
First, I helped pass a ten-year property tax assessment freeze in DeKalb County which will expire in 2016. I sponsored legislation this year to make this assessment freeze a permanent measure. The legislation passed the State House, but failed to gain sufficient support from the DeKalb members of the State Senate. I intend to try again in the 2015 legislative session…
The freeze does not affect City of Decatur property tax bills, City revenues, or Decatur school system revenues.  But the freeze does affect the DeKalb County bill that Decatur property owners receive and their overall property tax liability. The amount of savings from the freeze varies based on how much the property value has changed since it was frozen. Technically, the freeze doesn’t change assessed values (which must be calculated according to standard appraisal methodology per state law) but rather offsets increases in property values by reducing DeKalb taxes billed.

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