City of Cartersville; independent school district ad valorem taxes for educational purposes; provide a homestead exemption

School tax relief for Cartersville homeowners

The law establishes a school property tax exemption for owner-occupied homes in the City of Cartersville independent school district. It covers tax years January 1, 2026, through December 31, 2030, and no more than five contiguous acres. The exemption requires majority voter approval in the local referendum set for November 4, 2025. The law also requires approval by two-thirds of each state legislative chamber. Without voter approval, or if the election is not held as required, the exemption never takes effect. The act is then automatically repealed on the 365th calendar day after the election. The exemption removes assessed home value above an adjusted base-year value from school taxation. For homes first eligible in 2026, the starting value is the home's 2024 assessed value; otherwise, it is the prior year's value. These values include final changes from tax appeals. Each year's adjusted base starts with the previous adjusted base. It adds the smaller of the current value's increase above the original base or the previous adjusted base times last year's inflation rate. It also accounts for value added or removed by improvements, additions, or property removal, after final appeal decisions. The city must choose a standard method reflecting inflation and deflation, using the federal Consumer Price Index or another fair federal index. The law sets no specific rate. Homeowners generally must apply to the city, which provides forms and decides eligibility. Those granted a homestead exemption for the same home in 2025 receive this exemption automatically if still eligible in 2026. It renews while the home remains their homestead; homeowners must notify the city when eligibility ends. It does not pass to a new owner, who must apply and establish a new base value. The exemption excludes bonded-debt taxes and does not change state, county, county-school, or municipal-purpose property taxes. It adds to other homestead exemptions, except competing district base-year exemptions: the city applies whichever gives the larger benefit.