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Debate(s) brewing over property taxes While Early County property owners were opening their tax bills a couple of weeks ago, House Speaker Glenn Richardson was traveling about the state touting his proposal to overhaul Georgia's tax system. Richardson's GREAT tax plan would strip away property taxes while expanding the number of goods and services covered by the 4 percent sales tax. GREAT is an acronym for Georgia's Repeal of Every Ad Valorem Tax. There is little doubt a good number of local taxpayers would have been lining up at the polls to vote for the proposed plan as soon as they got their tax bills in focus. However, the issues raised by Richardson's plan has stirred hot debate anywhere they have been discussed across the state. While Richardson is garnering some support from state legislators, his plan is coming under heavy fire from city and county officials, school officials, a myriad of trade associations and the state's other top officials. Gov. Perdue expressed concerns about the plan during a speech to the Atlanta Press Club. He said the state is on a better fiscal footing than neighboring states. "I don't necessarily think Georgia's tax system is broken and in a crisis," he said. He said he's heard from local government officials from around the state worried that the tax shift will lead to an unreliable source of funds. Perdue also pointed to examples of two other states where legislators imposed a tax on services and then quickly repealed it in the face of public anger, Florida in the 1980s and Michigan this year. "Georgia is not in a position where we have to gamble with our revenue stream," he said. Closer to home, some local taxpayers are steamed with their tax bills in the wake of the county-wide revaluation - some bills increasing 300 to 400 percent. The News hopes to be prepared to publish an indepth look at the impact of the ad valorem taxes. Readers who have specific questions they would like to see addressed in the article should submit those questions no later than Nov. 9.
Send your questions or remarks Attention: Tax Bills to ecnews@alltel.net or fax them to 229-723-6097.
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