COVINGTON, Ga. — The City of Covington’s plan to fully exempt homeowners from paying property taxes moved forward with approval of Gov. Brian Kemp.
In January, Channel 2 Action News reported when Mayor Fleeta Baggett proposed a 100% homestead exemption for homeowners and said the city wanted to use revenue collected from nearby data centers to make up the collections instead.
At a city council meeting soon after, the proposal was passed and lawmakers took up the proposal to pass it in the legislature.
House Bill 1503 passed in the Georgia House of Representatives and Georgia Senate nearly unanimously, sending the bill to Kemp.
He signed the bill on May 11, putting the final decision on property taxes for Covington homeowners before voters in November.
If voters pass the referendum, it means the City of Covington will no longer collect property taxes on their primary residences. However, the Newton County government will still collect ad valorem taxes, if any apply.
Should the referendum pass, it would be fully in effect on Jan. 1, 2027.
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