COLUMBIA COUNTY, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Columbia County plans to use excess revenue, including money from the new Google data center, to pay property taxes for homeowners with a homestead exemption, County Manager Scott Johnson said. Johnson said full elimination of homestead property taxes depends on a state constitutional amendment that would remove a cap on the credit. Johnson said the county has worked for a couple of years on tax relief for residents. “Columbia County set out on this journey a couple of years ago, really trying to establish meaningful tax relief for our citizens in Columbia County,” Johnson said. “We have done that historically by lowering the millage rate, and then we’ve also done that by increasing exemptions.” House Bill 439 allows the county to establish a Homestead Tax Relief Grant Fund. The county can fund it with excess revenue, including revenue from data centers, Johnson said. When tax bills come in, the county would take money from the fund and pay the taxes on behalf of the homeowner. “Think about going out to dinner and somebody at the table next to you is picking up your tab,” Johnson said. “That’s really what House Bill 439 does.” Johnson said Columbia County chose this approach over lowering the millage rate. “Rather than lowering the millage rate and making all of them pay less, we said, what would happen if we kept the millage rate the same, but eliminated property taxes for the homeowners and used that money?” Johnson said. Homeowners with…
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