HR 222 - Millage rates; limitations; in- creases; require referendum - CA

First Reader Summary

A RESOLUTION proposing an amendment to the Constitution so as to provide that the millage rate which may be levied on taxable property by any county, municipality, or combination thereof and the millage rate which may be levied on behalf of any school system may not exceed the millage rate last established prior to December 31, 1996; and for other purposes.

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HR 222                                             LC 18 7994 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                             A RESOLUTION 
 
  1- 1  Proposing an amendment to the Constitution so as to provide 
  1- 2  that the millage rate which may be levied on taxable 
  1- 3  property by any county, municipality, or combination thereof 
  1- 4  and the millage rate which may be levied on behalf of any 
  1- 5  school system may not exceed the millage rate last 
  1- 6  established prior to December 31, 1996; to provide that such 
  1- 7  limitation may be increased but only upon approval in a 
  1- 8  referendum; to provide for the submission of this amendment 
  1- 9  for ratification or rejection; and for other purposes. 
 
  1-10       BE IT RESOLVED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA: 
 
  1-11                           SECTION 1. 
 
  1-12  Article VIII, Section VI of the Constitution is amended by 
  1-13  striking Paragraphs I and II and inserting in their place 
  1-14  new Paragraphs I and II to read as follows: 
 
  1-15      "Paragraph I. Local taxation for education.  (a)  The 
  1-16    board of education of each school system shall annually 
  1-17    certify to its fiscal authority or authorities a school 
  1-18    tax not greater than 20 mills per dollar the mill rate 
  1-19    last established prior to December 31, 1998, for the 
  1-20    support and maintenance of education.  Said fiscal 
  1-21    authority or authorities shall annually levy said tax upon 
  1-22    the assessed value of all taxable property within the 
  1-23    territory served by said school system, provided that the 
  1-24    levy made by an area board of education, which levy shall 
  1-25    not be greater than 20 mills per dollar, shall be in such 
  1-26    amount and within such limits as may be prescribed by 
  1-27    local law applicable thereto. 
 
  1-28      (b) School tax funds shall be expended only for the 
  1-29    support and maintenance of public schools, public 
  1-30    vocational-technical schools, public education, and 
  1-31    activities necessary or incidental thereto, including 
  1-32    school lunch purposes. 
 
  1-33      (c) The 20 mill limitation provided for in subparagraph 
  1-34    (a) of this Paragraph shall not apply to those school 
  1-35    systems which are authorized on June 30, 1983, to levy a 
 
 
 
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  2- 1    school tax in excess thereof each school system in this 
  2- 2    state, including independent school systems.  
 
  2- 3      (d) The method of certification and levy of the school 
  2- 4    tax provided for in subparagraph (a) of this Paragraph 
  2- 5    shall not apply to those systems that are authorized on 
  2- 6    June 30, 1983, to utilize a different method of 
  2- 7    certification and levy of such tax; but the General 
  2- 8    Assembly may by law require that such systems be brought 
  2- 9    into conformity with the method of certification and levy 
  2-10    herein provided. 
 
  2-11      Paragraph II. Increasing or removing tax rate.  The mill 
  2-12    limitation in effect on June 30, 1983 pursuant to 
  2-13    Paragraph I of this section, for any school system may be 
  2-14    increased, or but not removed, from time to time but only 
  2-15    by action of the respective boards of education, but and 
  2-16    only after such action has been approved by a majority of 
  2-17    the qualified voters voting thereon in the particular 
  2-18    school system to be affected in the manner provided by 
  2-19    law." 
 
  2-20                           SECTION 2. 
 
  2-21  Article IX, Section IV, Paragraph I of the Constitution is 
  2-22  amended by adding a new subparagraph (d) to said Paragraph 
  2-23  to read as follows: 
 
  2-24      "(d) The millage rate which may be levied on taxable 
  2-25    property by any county, municipality, or combination 
  2-26    thereof may not exceed the millage rate last established 
  2-27    prior to December 31, 1996.  Such mill limitation may be 
  2-28    increased, but not removed, from time to time but only 
  2-29    after such action has been approved by a majority of the 
  2-30    qualified voters voting thereon in the particular county, 
  2-31    municipality, or combination thereof to be affected in the 
  2-32    manner provided by law." 
 
  2-33                           SECTION 3. 
 
  2-34  The above proposed amendment to the Constitution shall be 
  2-35  published and submitted as provided in Article X, Section I, 
  2-36  Paragraph II of the Constitution. 
 
  2-37  The ballot submitting the above proposed amendment shall 
  2-38  have written or printed thereon the following: 
 
  2-39    "(  ) YES Shall the Constitution be amended so as to 
  2-40              provide that the millage rate which may be 
  2-41     (  ) NO  levied on taxable property by any county, 
 
 
 
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  3- 1              municipality, or combination thereof and the 
  3- 2              millage rate which may be levied on behalf of 
  3- 3              any school system may not exceed the millage 
  3- 4              rate last established prior to December 31, 
  3- 5              1996, and to provide that such limitation may 
  3- 6              be increased but only upon approval in a 
  3- 7              referendum?" 
 
  3- 8  All persons desiring to vote in favor of ratifying the 
  3- 9  proposed amendment shall vote "Yes."  All persons desiring 
  3-10  to vote against ratifying the proposed amendment shall vote 
  3-11  "No." 
 
  3-12  If such amendment shall be ratified as provided in said 
  3-13  Paragraph of the Constitution, it shall become a part of the 
  3-14  Constitution of this state. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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