Eatonton City Council met last Tuesday at the County Commission facility, where the councilors first heard from resident Jason Oliver, who was seeking an exemption to replace a mobile home on his mother’s land.
Oliver said he had recently visited Eatonton’s (Putnam County’s) zoning department, where he was told he couldn’t place the home there. He left unsure why he was issued the denial, so he appealed to the city council for clarity while hoping for a reversal of the zoning decision.
Oliver told the council his mother’s lot has plenty of room for the home, which would replace an older, worn-out mobile home on the property, as he understood city laws permitted. He also showed each council member and Eatonton Mayor John Reid photos of the mobile home and the lot in question.
“So, it’s already got a driveway; it’s already got a mailbox; I have a parcel lot number, so I was just going to move it and replace it there,” Oliver said. “There’s a total of 1.55 acres. The mobile home would be sitting with two others that are already there, but it would be far away.”
After each council member had examined Oliver’s photo and had a chance to ask questions, City Administrator Gary Sanders said he would meet with Putnam County Director of Planning and Development Lisa Jackson “to see what boxes he’s not checking in the situation.”
The council next heard from Sanders describing considerations about the state’s House Bill 581, which puts into law a statewide floating homestead exemption unless Georgia schools, cities, municipalities, or counties opt out and deliver their resolutions to the secretary of state by March 1.
Sanders pointed out that Eatonton City Council adopted its own floating homestead exemption in 2014, equal to the lesser of 3% of the Consumer Price Index (CPI). Over the ensuing years, the council installed a homestead exemption freeze for citizens 70 years and older and increased the city’s local homestead exemption from $2,000 to $10,000.
“The city of Eatonton has been, I’ll say, pretty progressive in homestead exemption policies, and I think you’re ahead of the state in many regards,” Sanders told the council.
Mayor Reid responded that without a tax office representative on hand to advise, no decisions could be reached that night, and stressed the need to be well informed before making any decision, for or against Bill 581.
Council member Janie Reid mentioned that a routine round of Georgia Municipal Association (GMA) phone calls on legislative policies would take place the following Monday. The council could pose questions and receive answers before making any decision on opting in or out of Bill 581.
Sanders agreed but reminded everyone that time is a factor since any decision to opt-out would require the council to advertise and hold three public hearings before adopting an opt-out resolution. He also reaffirmed that the Secretary of State’s office must receive the opt-out decision by March 1.
“But I think we’re in good shape in either direction that you would go,” he concluded.