Brookhaven Council Passes Property Tax Relief Measure

BROOKHAVEN, GA -- Brookhaven Mayor John Ernst introduced a measure to the Brookhaven City Council for property tax relief for homesteaded property owners, seniors, and the disabled. The motion passed unanimously and will be forwarded to the General Assembly for approval.

Upon its creation in December 2012, Brookhaven adopted DeKalb County’s property tax exemption limits for homesteaded properties and for seniors and disabled residents. The current homestead tax exemption is $20,000 and the senior/disabled tax exemption is an additional $14,000 with certain income restrictions.

Under the new proposal, the homestead exemption would increase from $20,000 to $40,000 over a five-year period. Specifically, the homestead exemption would increase annually by $4,000 for a period of five years beginning in tax year 2020 if passed by the General Assembly, and approved by the voters in November 2019. When fully implemented, the homestead exemption would reduce average city property taxes by $52.50 per homesteaded property annually.

The new proposal also increases the senior/disabled exemption from $14,000 to $160,000 over a five-year period. If approved by the General Assembly and a voter referendum in November, the senior/disabled exemption would increase annually by $29,200 for a period of five years beginning in tax year 2020.

When fully implemented, city property taxes would be reduced to zero for 85 percent of seniors currently receiving the senior/disabled exemption. A total of 724 of the 852 properties that are currently eligible for the senior/disabled exemption would no longer pay any city property taxes. For the remaining homeowners currently receiving the senior/disabled exemption, the average city property tax reduction would be $189.98 annually once fully implemented.

“This stems from the study and recommendations of Affordable Housing Task Force which made spent several months working on solutions to protect homeowners and preserve the character of the Brookhaven community,” said District 4 Councilmember Joe Gebbia. “I hope other governments will use Brookhaven as a model for additional tax exemptions for residents and I appreciate the mayor’s leadership role in addressing this issue.”

“Our senior citizens have already paid their dues, and our disabled residents are already fighting an uphill battle,” said Mayor Ernst. “This legislation protects affordable housing as well as lowers the overall tax burden for these homesteaded property owners. All homesteaded homeowners will get property tax relief.”

“This measure benefits homeowners by reducing property taxes, especially for our seniors and the disabled, who often need it most. I hope that DeKalb County Government and DeKalb Schools will explore similar tax reductions,” said District 1 Councilmember Linley Jones. “Governments are all too often quick to spend every taxpayer dollar. Very few governments self-impose tax reductions. I am proud to sponsor this action in Brookhaven.”

Combined, the fiscal impact of property tax reductions for seniors, the disabled, and homestead properties will total approximately $2 million over five years.

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