Vote Against Fulton County Ballot Measures to defund Fulton County Schools

Per https://atlantaciviccircle.org/2025/09/24/atlanta-fulton-county-senior-homestead-exemption-election/

 

In Fulton County, the following two questions will be on the ballot:

• Do you approve an act to provide a new homestead exemption from Fulton County school district ad valorem taxes for educational purposes in the amount of 25 percent of the assessed value of the homestead for certain residents of that school district who are 65 years of age or older?

• Do you approve an act to provide a new homestead exemption from Fulton County school district ad valorem taxes for educational purposes in the amount of 50 percent of the assessed value of the homestead for certain residents of that school district who are 70 years of age or older?

 

This is being marketed as an anti-displacement measure for seniors, but it is actually a measure to defund our schools. We do need the government to take action to let seniors continue to live in our community as they age. We need more housing. We need housing that's accessible, with no need to walk on stairs to enter the building or to go between floors. We need housing that's in a safe area for somebody no longer physically able to drive, with short and safe multiuse paths for walking or mobility devices to get to stores, doctors, transit, etc. The same politicians pushing these tax exemption are opposed to housing policies that would work for seniors. Some seniors are displaced purely due to financial need, and they are disproportionately renters rather than home owners. This policy does nothing for them.

The link above quotes a tax expert clarifying how this will operate across homeowners,

“If a 75-year-old living in a $10 million home is getting a $5 million exemption, that doesn’t seem fair,” he said, referring to Fulton’s proposed 50% reduction in assessed home values for homeowners over 70.  

There's simply no reason to structure the exemption this way if the actual concern was displacement. These measures are defunding our schools for the disproportionate benefit of property owners who have benefited the most from land appreciation. Land that could be better used if seniors in a $10 million dollar home downsized to something easier to manage.

Fulton County Schools needs better housing policy in general to enable more families to live in the area and boost enrollment. Otherwise there will be more school closures, like Spalding. These exemptions are not the housing policy we need. Likewise Fulton County Schools have many unmet needs, and these measures to defund our schools will make things worse. Please vote no.

-Vladimir