Does every homeowner get the same dollar amount?

The text says the county calculates one dollar value to be applied equally to all properties receiving the exemption in a given year.

Could the exemption be zero in some years?

Yes. If county-purpose property tax collections in a year do not exceed the 2025 level by the amount the Act requires, the exemption for the next year is zero dollars.

Does it cover school taxes?

No. This Act covers Fayette County ad valorem taxes for county purposes only.

If approved, it takes effect January 1, 2027, and the exemption begins January 1, 2027.

Should I vote yes or no on Fayette County Homestead Ad Valorem Exemption (House Bill 1583, Act 687)?

SpectrumVote doesn't endorse anyone or tell you how to vote. Read what a YES and a NO vote each do, and the official text, then decide based on what you want to happen.

The general election was Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Counts are unofficial until each state certifies its results over the following weeks; your state or county election office has the official results.

Fayette County Homestead Ad Valorem Exemption (House Bill 1583, Act 687)

Last updated Sat, Nov 7, 4:33 PM ET

Ballot measure · November 3, 2026

What it does: Shall the Act be approved which provides a homestead exemption from Fayette County ad valorem taxes for county purposes in a floating proportional amount based upon the amount of property taxes collected in a particular tax year that exceeds the value of property taxes collected in tax year 2025?
A YES vote means: Homeowners would get a homestead exemption from Fayette County property taxes for county purposes, in a floating amount based on how much the property taxes collected in a year exceed those collected in tax year 2025.
A NO vote means: This floating homestead exemption from Fayette County property taxes would not be created.
Needed to pass: A simple majority: more than half of the YES and NO votes on this measure must be YES. Leaving it blank doesn't count either way.
Left–right lean: Not a left–right issue: a procedural or local question that liberals and conservatives don't typically split on (AI read of the official ballot summary).

The YES and NO lines are SpectrumVote's plain-language reading of the official text above; the official text is what you vote on.

Official text: source

Explained

Today

A 1996 local Act already gives Fayette County residents of specified ages homestead exemptions from certain county and school district property taxes.
HB 1583 would add a new subsection to that 1996 Act creating a separate exemption for county-purpose taxes.

If it passes

Each Fayette County resident would get a new homestead exemption from county-purpose property taxes, starting January 1, 2027. The base year is the tax year beginning January 1, 2025.
Each year the tax commissioner would compare county-purpose property taxes collected from all properties with the amount collected in 2025.
The Act says that when the excess over 2025 "exceeds 100 percent" of the 2025 collections, that excess is set aside to pay for the exemption in the following year. If the excess is negative or does not exceed 100 percent of 2025 collections, the next year's exemption is zero dollars.
The county commission would decide the dollar value each year, applied equally to all homesteads receiving it. It cannot exceed the set-aside funds; any set-aside money not used goes to the county general fund.
Voting NO leaves the current exemptions unchanged, and the Act is automatically repealed 365 days after the election.

Who would notice

Fayette County homeowners who claim a homestead, and the Fayette County government budget. It does not apply to school district taxes.

How it got here

The General Assembly passed House Bill 1583 (sponsored by Representatives Bonner, Mathiak, Jackson and Bazemore) in its 2026 session. It is listed on the ballot as Act 687.

The Act says it needed a two-thirds vote in both the House and Senate, and that it takes effect only if more than half of Fayette County voters approve it at the November 3, 2026 election.

Written by SpectrumVote from 1 linked sources (1). Arguments are each side's own, not ours; the official text is what you vote on.

Background

House Bill 1583 is a local act sponsored by Representatives Bonner, Mathiak, Jackson and Bazemore that amends a 1996 Fayette County homestead act. It appears on the Governor's list of 2026 signed legislation.

The act sets 2025 as the base year. If the amount by which a later year's county-purpose property tax collections exceed base-year collections "exceeds 100 percent" of base-year collections, the act says the collections above that amount are set aside to pay for the next year's exemption.

Under the act, the governing authority decides the exemption's dollar value each year, applied equally to all qualifying homesteads. It may not exceed the set-aside funds, any unused funds go to the general fund, and the exemption is zero dollars in any year the threshold is not met.

The act says the exemption begins January 1, 2027 if voters approve.

Put on the ballot by Georgia General Assembly, HB 1583 (local act, 2026 session), signed by the Governor.

From official source 1, official source 2.

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Quick answers

What does a YES vote on Fayette County Homestead Ad Valorem Exemption (House Bill 1583, Act 687) mean?: Homeowners would get a homestead exemption from Fayette County property taxes for county purposes, in a floating amount based on how much the property taxes collected in a year exceed those collected in tax year 2025.
What does a NO vote on Fayette County Homestead Ad Valorem Exemption (House Bill 1583, Act 687) mean?: This floating homestead exemption from Fayette County property taxes would not be created.
Does every homeowner get the same dollar amount?: The text says the county calculates one dollar value to be applied equally to all properties receiving the exemption in a given year.
Could the exemption be zero in some years?: Yes. If county-purpose property tax collections in a year do not exceed the 2025 level by the amount the Act requires, the exemption for the next year is zero dollars.
Does it cover school taxes?: No. This Act covers Fayette County ad valorem taxes for county purposes only.
When would it start?: If approved, it takes effect January 1, 2027, and the exemption begins January 1, 2027.
How many votes does Fayette County Homestead Ad Valorem Exemption (House Bill 1583, Act 687) need to pass?: A simple majority: more than half of the YES and NO votes on this measure must be YES. Leaving it blank doesn't count either way.
Should I vote yes or no on Fayette County Homestead Ad Valorem Exemption (House Bill 1583, Act 687)?: SpectrumVote doesn't endorse anyone or tell you how to vote. Read what a YES and a NO vote each do, and the official text, then decide based on what you want to happen.
When is the vote?: The general election was Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Counts are unofficial until each state certifies its results over the following weeks; your state or county election office has the official results.

Not sure how to decide? Read our nonpartisan guide to the Fayette County ballot.

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