Voters Petition 2012 Ballot Item

Gilmer County Voter Randy Bell has drawn a petition to amend the 2012 ballot. According to the petition, the amendment will include a new item to be voted on; the petition reads,

We the undersigned registered voters of Gilmer County, Georgia respectfully request that the aforementioned officials introduce and aid to pass legislation for the following purpose: To place on the ballot for November, 2012 elections the opportunity for Gilmer County voters to place a $250,000 maximum cap on School Tax exemptions for Property owners age 65 and over.

In order for this to be placed on the 2012 Ballot, it must be passed in a bill by Georgia Legislature, which will convene a few weeks from now. As such, once the petition is complete with the desired number of signatures, the petition will be sent to State House Speaker David Ralston (R-Blue Ridge) and Senator Steve Gooch (R-Dahlonega). FYN has contacted the offices of Ralston and Gooch but we have yet to receive a response from either office.
In an email to FYN this week, Bell explained that the move is intended to address an item that was voted for several years ago. Bell states that he

“voted against this (School Tax exemptions for Property owners age 65 and over) in 2008 because there was no cap,” and that he “created the petition as an effort to get the matter revisited.”

He says, though that he is

“certainly not against giving seniors a break on School Tax, but feels that the ‘better heeled’ seniors should be drug at least partially back in the pool with the rest of us,”

meaning that citizens 65 and over whose property is valued over $250,000 should pay School Tax.
Bell said that although the petition was not developed by any one particular group of citizens, many people in the community have expressed support for the measure.