ATLANTA – State Representative Carter Barrett (R-Cumming) today announced House Bill 717 was recently enacted to provide a new homestead tax exemption for Forsyth County School District’s ad valorem taxes, which aims to curb rising property taxes for residents. Sponsored by Rep. Barrett, this legislation enables Forsyth residents to vote on the local exemption through a ballot referendum in 2024.
“I am so proud that Forsyth’s legislative delegation passed this legislation during my first legislative session under the Gold Dome,” said Rep. Barrett. “Forsyth County is an incredibly attractive area for families to move from across the metro area, but this housing market has drastically increased home values and, subsequently, home assessments for property taxes. This homestead exemption strikes a balance to ensure that our property taxes do not rise too quickly while still leaving room for our school district to increase its budgetary goals.”
If the ballot referendum is approved, it would limit how much the taxable value of a home would increase, year-over-year, to no more than four percent for any homeowner who applies for and receives the exemption. Forsyth County voters will have an opportunity to approve creating the school homestead exemption through a referendum on the November 2024 ballot.
“The passage of this bill was successfully achieved thanks to the tireless efforts of the entire Forsyth House and Senate Legislative Delegation and the Forsyth County Board of Education,” added Rep. Barrett. “We are unwavering in our commitment to lessen the property tax burden for the community.”
The Georgia General Assembly unanimously passed HB 717 during the 2023 legislative session, which marked Rep. Barrett’s first session in office. Governor Brian Kemp later signed the legislation into law in May.
For more information on HB 717, please click here.
Representative Carter Barrett represents the citizens of District 24, which includes portions of Forsyth County. He was elected to the House of Representatives in 2022 and currently serves as the Secretary of the Code Revision and Higher Education committees. He also serves on the Banks & Banking Committee.
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