At their May 13 meeting, the Coweta County Board of Education approved a Board Resolution formally asking the Coweta County Board of Elections to place increased senior tax exemptions on the November 4, 2025, election ballot.  

It was the last step necessary to allow Coweta voters to consider the measure as a local referendum this November.  If approved by voters, the measure will expand senior citizen homestead tax exemptions starting in 2026 to include 100 percent exemptions for Coweta residents 75 and older, and expanded exemptions for homeowners 65 to 74.

In recommending the resolution, Superintendent Evan Horton noted that the local legislation to increase the senior exemptions (HB 836) was passed by the General Assembly earlier this year, after being requested as part of a broader resolution of the Coweta County Board of Education on February 14.

“The Coweta County Board of Education’s original resolution requested an annual five percent cap on reassessment of all residential homesteaded properties in the county, removal of the 20 mil cap that is specific to school systems, as it is allowed by the Georgia Constitution, and an increase to the General fund reserve cap from fifteen percent to twenty percent of budgeted general funds,” said Horton.  “These senior exemption increases were the only item approved by the local delegation and, subsequently, the General Assembly, at this time.”

“We are grateful to our legislative delegation for starting with this portion of the school board’s proposal,” said Coweta School Board Chairman Buzz Glover.  “This is a good start and good for our community.”

On February 14, in a 7-0 vote, the Coweta County Board of Education approved a board resolution to establish local legislation to establish a 5 percent local tax cap on increases to homestead property values, provide greater local millage and reserve flexibility for the Coweta school board, similar to that of other local governments, and expand local senior citizen tax exemptions.  The resolution called for a full senior education tax exemption on any primary homestead for citizens 75 years of age and older, raise current senior homestead tax exemptions for citizens 71 to 74 to $100,000 of assessed value (up from $85,000 currently), and raise current senior homestead tax exemptions for citizens 65 to 70 to $75,000 of assessed value  (up from $60,000 currently). 

See the Board’s February 14 Resolution here:

A RESOLUTION OF THE COWETA COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION TO PROVIDE TAX RELIEF TO COWETA COUNTY CITIZENS AND ADDITIONAL FINANCIAL FLEXIBILITY TO THE COWETA COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT

The resolution was approved unanimously by the school board as an alternative to the provisions of HB 581, following the board’s February 12 vote to opt out of HB581.

The board opted out of 581, in part, because opting in to the state-proposed exemption caps would have prevented the board from offering an expansion of local senior tax exemptions.

The resolution approved by the board on February 14 was submitted to Coweta County’s local legislative delegation, and approved by the legislature as a whole at the end of this year’s General Assembly session (HB 836 Coweta County; School District ad valorem tax; raise homestead exemption amounts). The legislation was signed by Governor Brian Kemp in May.

While the local legislation did not include the 5 percent valuation cap, local millage rate and reserve balance proposals set forth in the school board’s resolution, it does allow the senior tax exemption increases to be considered by local voters as a separate measure, if supported by the school board.

“Our board of education appreciates the passage of local legislation for expanding senior tax exemptions in Coweta,” said Chairman Glover. “This gives our citizens the opportunity to vote on this matter in November.  If Cowetans approve, it will give those 75 years and older a complete homestead exemption from school taxes in Coweta, and expand other senior exemptions as well.”

“Our school board passed those exemptions in a resolution approved unanimously by the board in February.  That Board Resolution also called for establishing a 5 percent valuation cap for all Coweta homeowners, county-wide, and allowing greater millage and reserve flexibility for our school board similar to that of cities and counties.  We are disappointed these aspects were left out of this local legislation, which would have allowed Coweta voters to consider approving those as well.”

“Our Board Resolution still stands, and we hope our local legislators will reconsider and approve those measures in next year’s session,” he said.