BRYAN COUNTY, Ga. (WSAV) - The Bryan County School Board is at odds with a group of residents about whether to opt into a new tax exemption that could have a significant impact on their wallets.
The people of Georgia voted in favor of the homestead tax exemption, or House Bill 581, last November.
The exemption now applies to any municipalities that opt in. However, the Bryan County School District said they intend to opt out, which would mean increased tax revenue that would go toward county schools.
About a dozen people gathered on the side of Ford Ave Wednesday evening holding signs with slogans like "save our homes."
"We started organizing a collective of us. Right now, we're about 300 members where we're trying to inform the community about HB 581 is to save our homes, put out that information to our neighbors and local community and then have our voice heard," Grant, a Bryan County resident, said.
H.B. 581 is a cap on property taxes that locks in assessed value for homeowners if their local government opts in.
"Even though we already voted in the November election, part of the law allows the seven members of the board of education to opt out of that law," Grant said.
Bryan County Schools said that they do intend to opt out.
Though, according to a representative for Bryan County, close to 70% of Bryan County voters cast their ballot in favor of the tax exemption.
"The county and the city both are opting in. The school board is the only government entity in Bryan County that is wanting to opt out," Stephanie Falls, a Bryan County resident, said.
Residents said they're most worried about young families who want to buy their first homes or older people on fixed incomes being priced out.
"Of course we want a well-educated community. We would just like to see a better, more fiscally responsible budget," Falls said.
The Bryan County Board of Education (BOE) is hosting a public forum tomorrow night at 6:30 p.m. at the Bryan County BOE Central Office about the tax exemption.
News 3 reached out to the board for further comment but have not heard back.