Effingham County property owners could see up to six mills of tax relief under a proposal that combines a county millage rate reduction with the suspension of the Effingham County Industrial Authority's 2-mill property tax levy.
According to the Effingham County Industrial Development Authority, property owners could receive as much as six mills in combined tax relief if county commissioners approve the proposal Sept. 1.
"The funds received from this land sale represent thoughtful planning, targeted investment and disciplined economic development," said Matt Saxon, Chair of the ECIDA board. "It provides our team an extraordinary opportunity to strengthen the economic foundation that will support Effingham County for decades to come.”
The press
release also states that the industrial authority will provide the board of commissioners with $30 million for three years annually for additional property tax relief.
"At its Sept. 1 meeting, the Board will consider using a portion of these funds to provide approximately 2 mills ofCounty-wide property tax relief this year. If approved, this reduction would produce immediate savings for property owners. The funding will also support approximately 2 mills of relief for the Effingham County School District, generating additional savings for local taxpayers," states the press release.
Officials say this is the next step in the process toward Project Zero, a plan they say could eliminate county homestead property taxes for homeowners by 2028 if voters approve two ballot measures. According to Bill Tracker, House Bill 439 would give counties the authority to create grant programs to provide tax relief for qualifying homesteads. Gov. Brian Kemp signed the piece of legislation May 12 and it will go into effect Jan. 1, 2027.
"This proposed reduction marks an important step toward Project Zero, with the next phaseplanned for 2027," reads a press release from the IDA. "If voters approve the Local Homeowners Incentive Adjustment Grant (LHIAG) referendum in November, approximately $13 million of the ECIDA payment would beused to eliminate County homestead property taxes beginning in 2027."
Senate Bill 33, as described by Bill Tracker, establishes Local Homestead Option Sales Tax (LHOST), which creates a 1% sales tax for counties and municipalities for property tax relief.
“Project Zero is our commitment to finding a responsible path toward eliminating county property taxes for homeowners, and today we are significantly closer to that goal,” said District 3 Commissioner Jamie DeLoach. “Project Camellia gives us an opportunity to begin providing meaningful tax relief now, while building the bridge to permanent County homestead property tax relief measures. This is exactly how we envisioned Project Zero working—using the strength of our economy and responsible financial planning to put money back into the pockets of Effingham County residents.”
Latrice Williams is a general assignment reporter covering Bryan and Effingham County. She can be reached at lwilliams6@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Effingham County homeowners may get 6 mill tax relief soon
