Senate Bill 388 represents a significant legislative effort aimed at providing financial relief to senior and disabled residents of the Cherokee County School District through an amendment to the existing homestead exemption laws. This bill, sponsored by Senators Kirkpatrick (District 32), Albers (District 56) and Beach (District 21) seeks to amend the Act approved on March 10, 1988, which provided a homestead exemption from Cherokee County School District ad valorem taxes for educational purposes for residents over 62 years of age with annual incomes not exceeding $16,000. The 5-year residence clause serves multiple purposes, both as a measure of commitment to the local community and as a safeguard against potential exploitation of the tax exemption benefits. The proposed amendment aims to extend this exemption to include a full value exemption for senior citizens and disabled residents, irrespective of their income levels, underlining a commitment to supporting vulnerable populations within the community.
The amendment as detailed in Section 1A of the bill, introduces two pivotal changes to the existing law:
- It extends the homestead exemption to all senior citizens and disabled residents of the Cherokee County School District who have been granted a homestead exemption for property within the district for at least five years. This exemption covers the full value of the homestead from all Cherokee County School District ad valorem taxes for educational purposes.
- Included is a provision ensuring that the exemption is applied retroactively to eligible residents based on the law’s status in 2024, thereby grandfathering a specific group of residents under the expanded exemption criteria.
The bill stipulates the conduct of a referendum, allowing the electors of the Cherokee County School District to vote on the approval or rejection of this Act. The bill successfully passed in the Senate on February 7, 2024 and the in House on February 15, 2024.
For more detailed information on Senate Bill 388 and its provisions, you can refer to the official legislative documents and summaries.
Additionally, there are two other Homestead Tax Exemption bills on the legislative docket:
- House Bill 1013, sponsored by Thomas (District 21), Parsons (District 44), Carson (District 46), and Byrd (District 20) aims to amend an existing Act from April 13, 2001, which provides a homestead exemption from all City of Woodstock ad valorem taxes for city purposes. This amendment specifically targets residents who are 62 years of age or older, offering them a full value exemption on their homestead after a two-year phase-in period. The bill successfully passed the House on February 8, 2024, and the Senate on February 13, 2024. A municipal election superintendent is tasked with conducting a referendum to submit this Act to the electors of the City of Woodstock for approval or rejection. This election is scheduled to be conducted no later than the general primary in 2024.
- House Bill 1019, sponsored by one Cherokee delegate, Jones (District 47) seeks to double the statewide homestead exemption from certain ad valorem taxes from $2,000 to $4,000. The bill mandates that the Secretary of State conduct an election, allowing the electors of the entire state to vote in November 2024. If approved, the Act will become effective on January 1, 2025.