Staff Analysis of the Legislation
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This bill makes numerous changes throughout the OCGA under the purported purpose of modernizing taxpayer rights. Among its many changes it: 1) requires a local government to post its proposed budget on its website the same day it is provided to the governing authority and to email notification thereof to interested parties; 2) requires a public hearing on the budget two weeks, rather than one week, prior to adoption of the budget and requires email notification thereof two weeks prior to the hearing; 3) requires tax commissioners and tax collectors to prepare and publish on their website and the county website a monthly report of the number and type of tax sales and their progress and disposition; rewrites the definition of fair market value of property by placing artificial limits thereon such that the maximum allowable fair market value cannot exceed the adjusted fair market value; 4) eliminates the requirement that a tax bill show a statement regarding reduction of the state ad valorem levy since there no longer is such a levy; 5) makes major changes to the annual publication of the five year history and the process of advertising intent to increase property taxes including: A) combining both procedures together; B) requiring a public hearing on a Saturday; C) emailing notice to interested parties; and D) prohibiting the state revenue commissioner from accepting a county digest if any recommending authority or levying authority, including a municipality fails to comply with any part of the new combined procedure and renders the levy of each levying authority invalid and unenforceable; and 6) requires all notices and reports of tax sales and five year histories and roll back compliance to be retained permanently. |