State Representative Tangie Herring announced on Mar. 18 that House Bill 1537 and House Bill 1538, both designed to provide property tax relief for seniors in Macon-Bibb County, have passed the House and are now headed to the Senate.
The proposed legislation is intended to help older residents remain in their homes by reducing their property tax burden. The bills aim to address concerns about affordability for seniors who have contributed to the community over many years.
“Our seniors have spent decades building this community, and they deserve to retire with the financial security to stay in the homes they love,” Herring said. “By moving these bills forward, we are one step closer to providing real, tangible relief to our neighbors who have given so much to Middle Georgia.”
House Bill 1537 would apply a tiered homestead exemption system for Bibb County School District ad valorem taxes, while House Bill 1538 would do the same for Bibb County ad valorem taxes. Under both bills, eligible residents aged 65 to 74 would receive an exemption of $17,000 of assessed value; those aged 75 to 84 would receive $32,000; and residents aged 85 or older would be fully exempt from assessed value.
“We are leading the charge to prevent the displacement of our senior citizens and ensuring Macon-Bibb remains an affordable place to live,” Herring said. She added that she will continue advocating for her district as the bills move through the legislative process.
Burns, a Republican, was elected to the Georgia State House in 2005 to represent the state’s 159th House District, replacing previous state representative Ray Holland according to the available information.
Herring said she looks forward to sharing more updates as efforts continue toward passing these measures.
