Gov. Sonny Perdue gave county commissioners every indication Tuesday that they shouldn’t count on getting the $428 million they need to pay for last fall’s homeowners’ relief grants.If counties don’t get the money, officials say they’ll have to send supplemental $200 to $300 property tax bills to homeowners later this year. They’ll essentially be asking homeowners to give the tax relief grant money back.
Perdue told county commissioners the state can’t spare the money at a time when its budget shortfall is $2.2 billion and rising.
It seems, frankly, a bit odd to me that we get homeowners tax relief anyway. In effect, tax payers are unaware of what their taxes really are because of the offset.
There’s more from Dick Pettys on the subject:
Gov. Sonny Perdue on Tuesday called the homeowners tax relief program instituted by his predecessor, Roy Barnes, “an ill-conceived program” that was birthed in politics, never delivered on its original promise and costs too much for the state to keep in place.
That wasn’t what the Association County Commissioners of Georgia wanted to hear, but Perdue laid out his feelings about the program in a calm and deliberate voice that seemed free of a confrontational tone, even if he did suggest that counties haven’t managed their spending and revenue as well as the state.
Brace yourselves: I think Sonny is right on this.
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The state should not be in the business of providing welfare to the counties. This is exactly the reason the GREAT Plan was a BAD Plan. It would have constitutionally obligated the state to raise all sorts of taxes to fund the counties while providing no impetus for the counties to cut their spending.
Gov. Sonny Perdue on Tuesday called the homeowners tax relief program instituted by his predecessor, Roy Barnes, “an ill-conceived program” that was birthed in politics, never delivered on its original promise and costs too much for the state to keep in place.
so its a bad thing to make and keep a campaign promise?
steal money from property owners whom the civil gov has no business taxing, and then get all pissy and indignant when the civil gov can’t fund all their extra curricular activities. Slash DHR, save the budget and stop taxing me for the sin of owning a house.
Erick,
As soon as the counties send out “supplemental” property tax bills for a year in which they have already levied and already been paid property tax, expect taxpayer litigation to explode all over the state.
I thought this post was about a sequel to The Sixth Sense…
Try telling homeowners they are just paying back welfare and not paying additional taxes when they have to pull out the checkbook and pay the government an additional $200-300 they can’t really afford right now.
I can’t wait to see that.
and stop taxing me for the sin of owning a house.
Take it up with your county commissioners and school board members. They are the ones who levey (most of ) the taxes. The state’s portion of property taxes is negligible.
If Comrade Bannister and his merry band of misfits want to waste money building a stadium to the braves so they can get xxxxxx for blockseats, then they should have the balls to raise taxes and not expect handouts from the Gold Dome.
Good point, Chris. When is the next Cobb County Commissioners meeting?
One of the problems is that the Counties have already sent out this year’s tax bills. The poop is gonna hit the fan if they have to send out another one this year raising people’s taxes in the middle of a recession.
From what I understand, the House put the money back in for this year and said that future years were dependent on whether or not the State has a surplus.
It’s easy for me to say since I don’t have to face the voters but I say discontinue this next year so folks have a chance to adjust. Killing it this year is tantamount to a retroactive tax increase.
Remember, this is Perdue’s second attempt to raise property taxes. He tried this stunt in 2003. Just part of the New Georgia.
Chris brought made an excellent point. If you haven’t been active in local affairs, now is the time to call on the BOE, BOC and city council and demand funding for non-core functions be eliminated.
Non-core functions to me is anything beyond teachers, firemen, police, EMS and absolutely essential personnel to conduct local government business.
My county just cut 10% at the BOC, the BOE refused to raise the millage rate as requested by the school administration resulting in $1 million worth of non-essential personnel layoffs. None of the cuts will come without activism on the local level.
In the City of Atlanta, non-core functions are anything beyond the Mayor’s staff and City Council staff.
And the people who collect the money from the homeless meters, I guess.
Bobby Kahn has shown what the counter argument will be, the blame game as if there is no room for local governments to curtail non-core functions.
It’s a battle of ideas. Blame the state for raising taxes or blame the county for out of control spending.
Bowersville,
I was thinking along the same lines-thanks for stating the case.
I’ll carry the case one step further.
There are a lot more local officials out there to make their case than there are state GOPers. If the State/Republican leaders wish to choose a fight with local officials over government spending, they better hope they don’t need grass roots efforts in their next elections.
Bingo
So we get screwed on our property taxes, but check this out.
Today our esteemed Republican House passed HB116 so that rich people who fly their planes in to Georgia, and need repairs in Georgia don’t have to pay sales tax on the repair work. Yes, you heard right, as long as the aircraft is not registered in Georgia, you don’t pay sales tax.
At least our Georgia GOP only screws Georgians. So it’s all in the family.
It must be so easy to be Trevor SOutherland or Bobby Kahn these days.
The direct mail just writes itself…
Jenny, I’d support HB116 if they’d amend it so that Georgia residents don’t have to pay the tax, either. Can we get Shafer to offer that amendment on the Senate side?
Jenny: The Cobb commission meets in regular session twice a month on the second Tuesday (9 a.m.) and the fourth Tuesday (7 p.m.). So the next one is on the 24th at 7 p.m.
Wow, I’d absolutely hate to be a sitting county commissioner if the Governor does veto the legislation which would continue the tax relief for 2008.
On the other hand, if you’re an aspiring politician, who’s county commissioner is up for reelection in the next year or two, well, there will probably never be a better time to beat an incumbent!
Thanks for the info on the meetings, Taft.
In regard to amending HB116 in the Senate: As I understand it, when legislation is assigned a number, it is also assigned a categorical position in regard to the amendment process. Earl Ehrhart assigns these categories as the chairman of the rules committee–I think he’s the most powerful person in the House next to Glenn because of this privilege, unless Glenn is dating an especially drop dead gorgeous influential hotty- then maybe Earl would be third down the line.
Too bad I’m not a hotty, or single, or dating Glenn, or influential. I might get HB 1 to the House Floor for a vote otherwise.
-Open Rule: means the bill can be amended at any time.
-Modified Open: You must submit the amendment 1 hour before the speaker calls the bill for consideration.
-Modified Structured: Only the rules committee can offer amendments for the bill.
-Structured: No amendments can be offered.
HB116 is a structured bill. Historically, when a structured bill has been sent by Glenn to the Senate and it comes back amended, Glenn sends it back as if rejected by the House, without having the House vote it down. It is an automatic rejection. But this could be the exception.
David Ralston was kind enough to vote against HB 116, as he couldn’t offer an amendment to make the tax cut applicable to Georgians. Thank you, David. Of course, Bobby Franklin voted against HB116. I probably didn’t need to tell y’all that.
In the event that y’all care, HB116 was passed 134 to 31.
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