South Gwinnett News

Gwinnett County Commissioners have decided not to adopt the Statewide Adjusted Base Year Homestead Exemption as introduced in House Bill 581. This decision was made during a vote on Tuesday, ensuring that Gwinnett homeowners' property assessments will remain unchanged despite inflation.

The decision followed three public hearings held at the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center over January and February, with additional hearings hosted by cities and schools.

Currently, Gwinnett County has a Value Offset Exemption (VOE) in place. This exemption prevents tax increases for homeowners resulting from rising property market values. Unlike the proposed statewide exemption, the VOE is designed to guard against inflation and keep county government taxes lower for residents.

Since its implementation in 2001, the VOE has automatically applied when a homestead exemption is granted within the county. It maintains assessed property value at the base year valuation. Consequently, homeowners’ county government taxes are calculated based on this frozen valuation even if property values increase over time.

The new Statewide Adjusted Base Year Homestead Exemption would adjust home base values annually for inflation, potentially leading to increased taxes—something not applicable under Gwinnett's existing VOE.

The effectiveness of Gwinnett’s VOE is illustrated through savings experienced by local homeowners. For instance, a Suwanee homeowner saved $5,691.11 over four years due to their property’s market value increasing from $420,300 in 2021 to $746,500 by 2024 while their county tax remained constant at $1,254.71 annually based on a frozen 2013 assessment.

Similarly, an Auburn resident benefitted from stable annual county taxes of $1,066.83 between 2021 and 2024 despite their property's market value climbing from $225,500 to $407,500 during that period—a saving of $3,116.76 attributed to the VOE's application since 2017.

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