COLUMBIA COUNTY, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Google will occupy two data center complexes being built near Appling, and county leaders say the investment could eventually eliminate homestead property taxes for residents. County Manager Scott Johnson said the project — which includes 33 buildings spanning 3,500 acres in Harlem — is one of the largest data center projects in the country based on land size and number of buildings. The path to tax relief runs through House Bill 439, a bill written by Columbia County for the state. The law allows county governments to set aside money for property tax relief. Voters will decide whether to authorize its use in a November referendum. “We have an amazing opportunity here to eliminate homestead property taxes,” Johnson said. “And a lot of people can say that, but I don’t think anybody in the country’s ever done it.” If voters approve the measure, Johnson said residents could see credits on their property tax bills as early as 2027 — before the data centers are fully operational. He said the county is negotiating additional fees from the data centers to generate enough revenue to deliver on that promise from day one. “We want to ensure that we have property tax relief year one,” Johnson said. “So we’re actually negotiating additional fees to be able to go into that to get to the number that we need to make sure that we can do what we were promised.” Complete elimination of property taxes would not come until 2028 at the earliest. Johnson said a…
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