On February 3, 1870, the Fifteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution was ratified, prohibiting racial discrimination in voting.
On February 3, 1887, Congress adopted the Electoral Count Act to clarify how Congress was to count electoral votes.
Electoral vote counting is the oldest activity of the national government and among the oldest questions of constitutional law. It was Congress’s first task when a quorum appeared in the nation’s new legislature on April 6, 1789. It has happened every four years since then. Yet, electoral vote counting remains one of the least understood aspects of our constitutional order.
The Electoral Count Act of 1887 (ECA) lies at the heart of this confusion. In enacting the ECA, Congress drew on lessons learned from its twenty-five previous electoral counts; it sorted through innumerable proposals floated before and after the disastrous presidential election of 1876; and it thrashed out the ECA’s specific provisions over fourteen years of sustained debate. Still, the law invites misinterpretation. The ECA is turgid and repetitious. Its central provisions seem contradictory. Many of its substantive rules are set out in a single sentence that is 275 words long. Proponents of the law admitted it was “not perfect.” Contemporary commentators were less charitable. John Burgess, a leading political scientist in the late nineteenth century, pronounced the law unwise, incomplete, premised on contradictory principles, and expressed in language that was “very confused, almost unintelligible.” At least he thought the law was constitutional; others did not.
Over the nearly 120 years since the ECA’s adoption, the criticisms faded, only to be renewed whenever there was a close presidential election. Our ability to misunderstand the ECA has grown over time. During the 2000 presidential election dispute, politicians, lawyers, commentators, and Supreme Court justices seemed prone to misstate or misinterpret the provisions of the law, even those provisions which were clear to the generation that wrote them. The Supreme Court, for example, mistakenly believed that the Supreme Court of Florida’s erroneous construction of its election code would deny Florida’s electors the ECA’s “safe harbor” protection; Florida Governor Jeb Bush’s hasty submission of his state’s Certificate of Ascertainment was untimely under the Act; and Democratic members of Congress framed their objections to accepting Florida’s electoral vote on the wrong grounds. Even Al Gore, the presidential candidate contesting the election’s outcome, misread the federal deadline for seating Florida’s electors.
Only the United States Congress could so obfuscate a matter as seemingly simple as counting that its Act remained undecipherable for more than one hundred years.
The Sixteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution was ratified by Delaware on February 3, 1913, giving the Amendment the requisite Constitutional supermajority of three-fourths of the states. The text of the Amendment reads, in its entirety,
The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes on incomes, from whatever source derived, without apportionment among the several States, and without regard to any census or enumeration.
President Woodrow Wilson died on February 3, 1924 in Washington, DC. Wilson was born in Staunton, Virginia (pronounced Stan-ton) and spent most of his youth to age 14 in Augusta, Georgia. Wilson started practicing law in Atlanta, Georgia in 1882, leaving the next year to pursue a Ph.D. at Johns Hopkins University. His wife, Ellen Louise Axson, was from Savannah, and they married in Rome, Ga in 1885.
On February 3, 1959, a chartered Beechcraft Bonanza carrying Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson crashed near Mason City, Iowa, killing all aboard.
Jimi Hendrix recorded Purple Haze on this date in 1967.
Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections
The legislative schedule on Georgia’s website is currently down, so I have no idea what’s happening today.
Enough voters were incorrectly assigned to State House District 128 to possibly overturn the results of the November General Election, according to the AJC.
In drawing the district lines, election officials put an entire street within the district when only one side should have been included. In another example, several houses in a triangle-shaped wedge were inadvertently added. And in another, some residences were misplaced on maps because addresses were listed as a “road” instead of a “street.”A judge is considering whether to order a redo election between Democratic state Rep. Mack Jackson and Republican challenger Tracy Wheeler following the trial in McDuffie County.
Jackson received 48 more votes out of 28,000 cast, but Wheeler argued in court that at least 55 voters were misassigned to the incorrect voting districts and three more voters had moved away.
“We have to do what it takes to ensure we properly do an election,” Jake Evans, an attorney for Wheeler, said during his opening statement. “This case is bigger than Ms. Wheeler or Rep. Jackson. This case is about ensuring the democratic principles of America are upheld.”
Jackson said the election results should stand, and his attorneys told the judge that Wheeler hadn’t proved there were enough improper ballots cast.
“When the people speak, I think their votes should be honored,” said Jackson, who lives in Sandersville.
McDuffie County Elections Director Phyllis Brooks acknowledged some of the mistakes during testimony Tuesday.
The secretary of state’s office flagged 93 voter registrations for review before the election, but none of them were changed to different districts at the time. County election officials are responsible for verifying the accuracy of voting districts.
“I guess if there’s anything wrong, at the end of the day the person is charge is the one responsible. As the director, it’s on me,” Brooks said in court.
Attorneys for McDuffie and Warren counties admitted in court filings that at least 50 voters were assigned to incorrect districts, but they disputed that all of them were actually given the wrong ballots and voted in the state House race.
Adam Sparks, an attorney for Jackson, said ordering a new election would be a “drastic remedy” that wasn’t justified based on the evidence in this case.
“Overturning the certified choice of the citizens of District 128 necessarily involves throwing out the votes of those Georgia citizens,” Sparks said in his opening statement. “Retroactively disenfranchising voters and challenging their status even after an election has been held, cross-checked and certified, well, it’s becoming more common in Georgia and America.”
Enigma City Council member Doug Webb was escorted from a meeting and arrested, according to WALB.
According to the Berrien County Sheriff’s Office, they were requested to secure Enigma City Council’s meeting Wednesday afternoon.
During the meeting, a deputy noticed a heated exchange exchange between Councilman Doug Webb and Councilman Donald Franklin. When approached by the deputy, both were instructed that it wasn’t the time and place for such. Webb allegedly stood up and continued shouting vulgarities.
According to the report from BCSO, Webb was escorted out of the meeting and arrested for disorderly conduct.
“I hold our elected officials to a high standard as do our citizens, and it is time for Enigma to be held accountable and order to be restored to their meetings.” stated Sheriff Ray Paulk.
Now Webb tells WALB, “I was singled out. It was an illegal meeting being held.”
Newton County Commission Chair Marcello Barnes filed suit against the Governor and Attorney General and seeks to remain in office after being indicted, according to the AJC.
The chairman of the Newton County Board of Commissioners is suing Gov. Brian Kemp and Attorney General Chris Carr in an effort to avoid a second suspension while facing federal money laundering charges.
Marcello Banes, who was indicted in June 2024 and subsequently suspended by Kemp in August, claims the state leaders don’t have the authority to re-suspend him from office after he won election to a third term in November.
Banes has pleaded not guilty to charges accusing him of participating in a corrupt real estate deal with Newton County commissioner and real estate broker Stephanie Lindsey. The criminal case is still pending before a federal judge in Atlanta.
John Strauss, an attorney representing Banes in his Jan. 28 lawsuit against Kemp and Carr, said he asked the Fulton County Superior Court on Thursday to set an emergency hearing in the case.
“We respectfully believe strongly that Governor Kemp and Mr. Carr lack the authority for the procedures that their offices are presently following,” Strauss told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in an email. “The suspension statute cannot again be used to thwart the will of the voters or deny Mr. Banes his constitutional protections.”
Banes won election to his third term as commission chair unopposed in the Nov. 5 general election after winning the Democratic primary in May. He says in his lawsuit that he received more votes than the county’s sheriff, probate judge and district attorney.
Banes said in court filings that Kemp has again appointed a commission to consider his suspension, and that the commission members, including Carr, are due to meet this week. Banes seeks an emergency restraining order halting the suspension process until his court case has been decided.
“There is no lawful basis for the re-established review commission that the governor has convened, nor any lawful basis for the petitioner’s potential re-suspension,” Banes said in court filings.
Banes alleges that the state law governing the suspension of indicted public officials doesn’t allow Kemp and Carr to again go through the process of suspending him, now that the term in which he was indicted and initially suspended has ended. He said to find otherwise would violate his constitutional rights.
He said part of the relevant state law ends an indicted official’s suspension if their criminal case isn’t tried in the court term following their indictment. But federal courts don’t have terms, Banes argues.
Forsyth County Probate Court will offer free weddings on Valentine’s Day for resident couples, according to AccessWDUN.
The ceremonies will be a basic civil ceremony held in the Probate Court Courtroom (100 W. Courthouse Square, Suite 008) between 9 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 14. Parties will still be required to fill out a registration form and apply for a marriage license in Probate Court on or before Feb. 7.
Additionally, couples will be required to bring their marriage license and valid photo ID to their ceremony appointment time.
“It is an honor to be a part of this special day as these couples begin their new lives together,” Probate Court Judge Daisy Weeks-Marisko said in a release. “What better way to celebrate love than weddings on Valentine’s Day?”
Couples can email ProbateHearing@forsythco.com to request a ceremony time. More information on how to obtain a marriage license, as well as other Probate Court services, can be found on the Probate Court website.
The county’s website said participants are encouraged to bring family and guests to attend the ceremony to celebrate the marriage.
Greater cohesion among Republican voters boosted President Trump’s numbers in Georgia, according to the AJC.
Trump received 88% of votes from Georgia voters who also chose Republican candidates for Congress and the General Assembly, according to the AJC’s analysis. By comparison, Harris received lower support from her party’s voters, with 79% of them picking a straight Democratic ticket.
“This proves that this is now Trump’s party,” said Jay Morgan, a former Georgia Republican Party executive director who is now a lobbyist. “It’s all about the base.”
Those 2.4 million straight-ticket Republican voters gave Trump the votes he needed for a 115,100-vote win over Harris. Harris received 2 million votes from Georgians who also picked Democrats lower down the ballot. The remaining 830,000 voters chose at least one Republican and one Democrat on their ballots.
The AJC’s analysis of voting patterns was made possible for the first time after the 2024 presidential election by the statewide disclosure of spreadsheets called “cast vote records,” which are a ballot-by-ballot accounting of voters’ choices on each race.
In previous elections, vote totals were provided by candidate, precinct or county, but details of how voters filled out their ballots weren’t available except through individual ballot images. Ballots are public records, but the identities of the voters who cast them remain anonymous.
The secretary of state’s office provided cast-vote records for all 159 counties in response to a request by the AJC through the Georgia Open Records Act.
The voting records provide insights into voters’ behavior, partisanship and political polarization.
The Stacey Abrams-founded New Georgia Project is laying off workers, according to the Associated Press and others via WALB.
After a historic fine by Georgia’s state ethics commission for violating numerous campaign finance regulations, the New Georgia Project (NGP) has reportedly laid off more than a dozen staff members.
The layoffs have sparked a GoFundMe to support those workers.
The New Georgia Project was founded in 2013 by then-state Rep. Stacey Abrams, a DeKalb County Democrat who would later mount two unsuccessful campaigns for governor. The project’s goal was to register more nonwhite and young voters in Georgia and to urge them to turn out.
The New Georgia Project Action Fund is a nonprofit social welfare organization that can directly endorse candidates, although donations aren’t tax deductible.
In mid-January, the ethics commission found the New Georgia Project and the New Georgia Project Action Fund illegally did election work for Abrams and others without disclosing their campaign contributions and spending.
The groups’ current leadership admitted 16 instances of illegal activity in a consent decree and will pay a $300,000 fine, the largest in state history according to the commission’s director, David Emadi.
The commission found that the entities raised $4.2 million and spent $3.2 million to support Abrams and other candidates in the 2018 election cycle.
Abrams stepped down in 2017 and said she had no role with the groups thereafter. U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Georgia), a close Abrams ally and Baptist minister, was listed as the New Georgia Project’s CEO on corporate filings in 2017, 2018 and 2019.
According to the GoFundMe campaign, the New Georgia Project laid off over a dozen members of their staff with less than 12 hours of warning.
“On January 28, they did the same to another dozen staff members, this time allowing for only three days of remaining pay and benefits,” the GoFundMe said. “The organization has stated these reductions in force are due to economic downturns, reductions in fundraising in an ‘off’ election year, and other contributing factors.
“No matter the reason, with this, over 30 of some of the most dedicated organizers, door knockers, and field tacticians who dedicated years of their lives to this work are now out of work, some whose insurance will lapse as soon as February 1,” the campaign said.
The employees also lost their healthcare.
The Late Former President Jimmy Carter was awarded a fourth Grammy, according to the Associated Press via WTVM.
Carter, the peanut farmer who won the presidency in the wake of the Watergate scandal and Vietnam War, died in December at age 100. Prior to his passing, Carter was nominated in the audio book, narration, and storytelling recording category at the 2025 Grammys for “Last Sundays in Plains: A Centennial Celebration,” recordings from his final Sunday School lessons delivered at Maranatha Baptist Church in Georgia. Musicians Darius Rucker, Lee Ann Rimes and Jon Batiste are featured on the record.
It’s Carter’s fourth Grammy. His posthumous Grammy joins his three previous ones for spoken word album.
If the former president won before his death, he would’ve become the oldest Grammy award winner in history.
Jason Carter, Jimmy Carter’s grandson, received the award on his behalf. “Having his words captured in this way for my family and for the world is truly remarkable,” he said in an acceptance speech. “Thank you to the academy.”
Former presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton have two Grammys apiece. First ladies Michelle Obama and Hilary Clinton have also each won.
Former presidents Harry S. Truman, John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon were all nominated, but didn’t win.
Fulton County Commissioners denied additional funding for District Attorney Fani Willis, according to the AJC.
Fulton County commissioners have rejected pleas by District Attorney Fani Willis and court leaders for extra funding, passing a 2025 budget that one commissioner described as “some hard medicine to have to swallow.”
Willis threatened to sue the Fulton County Board of Commissioners if it didn’t adequately fund her office, citing the need for more attorneys and investigators. In a Dec. 11 letter to the board, Willis said she’d have to “explore legal remedies which includes filing a lawsuit against the Board of Commissioners to seek a budget consistent with the number and nature of cases this office handles.”
Fulton County Magistrate Court Chief Judge Cassandra Kirk also warned about the consequences of her court being underfunded when seeking at least an extra $711,000 to hire six extra full-time support staff.
In a 5-2 vote on Wednesday, county commissioners refused to green-light the extra spending.
Board chairman Robb Pitts spoke in the meeting Wednesday about various department requests for extra funding that totaled about $130 million. He said the county could move money to satisfy the requests without affecting the millage rate, but he didn’t advocate for that.
In her letter, Willis told commissioners that “people will die” unless more money is allocated to addressing the county jail’s “deplorable conditions.” She said the underfunding of her office would worsen the jail problem and make the county less safe.
The board approved $39.3 million for Willis’ office, up from $36 million in 2024.
Governor Brian Kemp is seeking an additional $175 million in state budget funds for liability expenses, according to the AJC.
From collisions and potholes to fatal accidents, liability claims against Georgia have soared in recent years prompting Gov. Brian Kemp to seek $175 million in state money to cover the costs.
Outstanding liability insurance claims jumped 343% to $394 million over the last nine years, according to the Department of Administrative Services. Claims are expected to rise another 14% in fiscal year 2026 and 19% the following year.
Kemp’s budget request comes as he presses lawmakers to pass legislation reining in civil litigation costs for the private sector, which he says contributes to higher insurance premiums for businesses and consumers. Though damage claims against the state are limited by law, the legislation could also help curtail some claims against state employees and agencies.
“Whether it’s at the grocery store or in a courtroom, there is no denying that it’s hardworking Georgians who pay the price for an out of balance legal environment.” said Kemp spokesman, Garrison Douglas.
Georgia uses a mix of self-insurance and commercial carriers to provide liability insurance for some 130,000 employees and 325 state agencies. An organization that large faces significant costs for property damage, bodily injury and other liability claims.
Rebecca Sullivan, commissioner of the Department of Administrative Services, told legislators at a recent budget hearing that liability costs have been escalating across the country. She said inflation and an increase in more complex litigation have contributed to rising costs.
Sullivan said the state is examining ways to reduce its exposure. One example: Kemp has proposed spending more than $600 million to boost safety and security at Georgia prisons. She said that would address liability caused by staffing shortages, delayed maintenance and other problems.
The Savannah Morning News spoke to local state legislators about their priorities.
Sen. Ben Watson (R–Savannah)
Tort reform, school safety and hurricane relief are among the top priorities for Sen. Ben Watson (R–Savannah), who has represented Senate District 1 in the Georgia legislature since 2014. His district spans Bryan, Liberty, and Chatham counties, which were all hard-hit by Hurricane Helene.
Tort reform, Watson said, is an issue that’s “long overdue,” adding, “we want to hopefully level the playing field that has been tilted in the wrong direction.”
Sen. Billy Hickman (R–Statesboro)
Improving Georgia’s education system continues to be an issue of great importance to Hickman, who is married to an educator and serves as chairman of the Higher Education Committee. His constituents in Senate District 4 span Bulloch, Candler, Chatham Effingham and Evans Counties.
In 2025, Hickman has a slate of education-themed reforms on his priority list, saying he hopes to improve Georgia’s literacy rates and prioritize school safety in light of recent shootings.
“If our students are not safe, they’re not going to learn,” he said, adding that high rates of chronic absenteeism were also an area of concern. Teacher and administrative retention is also high on Hickman’s list of priorities.
“We have more people getting out of education and not wanting to teach than we have coming into education, and we’ve got to figure out why that is,” he said.
Rep. Bill Hitchens (R–Rincon)
Criminal justice issues are a top priority for Hitchens, a veteran, retired Georgia State Patrol trooper and chairman of the Public Safety Subcommittee on Appropriations who was first elected in 2013. His district, House district 161, covers Pooler, Port Wentworth, Rincon and south Effingham County, as well as State Route 21.
This year, Hitchens said he is hoping to secure a 4% raise for all the correctional officers in an effort to attract more employees across state prison systems.
“Since I’ve been the chairman of the committee, we’ve raised their salaries substantially, but we’re about 2,500 correctional officers short,” Hitchens said. “We’re going to try and raise it up by at least 800 this time.”
Savannah’s population growth is another factor on Hitchens’ mind, as rapid expansion has strained the city’s existing resources.
“Our infrastructure just hasn’t kept up with our population,” Hitchens said, adding that he is hoping to secure money in the state budget to improve Savannah’s water and sewer infrastructure, as well as highways in the area.
Rep. Ron Stephens (R–Savannah)
Tort reform is top of mind for the dean of Chatham County’s delegation, whose district, House District 164, spans portions of Chatham and Bryan counties.
“The people that are screaming at us are the businesses and homeowners and even people that have automobiles but can’t afford the insurance anymore because of unbridled litigation,” he said. “That one issue alone has got to change if we’re going to continue to be the number one state to do business in.”
Stephens, who is also chairman of the House Economic Development & Tourism Committee, says he hopes to focus on tweaking laws the legislature has passed in previous years.
“We’ve laid the groundwork,” he said. “We’ve created sound policy. So I kind of want to just cruise a little bit this year and maybe do some amendments to a few of the things that we passed last year or the year before.”
Savannah and Chatham County made the case for their issues at the state capitol, according to WSAV.
“Savannah-Chatham Day is almost like the Superbowl of policy when it comes to Chatham County. Here, you’re going to meet every elected body, whether it’s school board, municipalities, and be able to engage with them,” District 6 Chatham County Commissioner Aaron Whitely said.
During their meeting at the capitol, local leaders highlighted some of the most pressing issues for their constituents, like infrastructure woes.
“Our drainage is in need of repair. As we know, we go underwater very quickly when it rains. That is due to the repairs, the new infrastructure that we need,” Dr. Estella Shabazz, District 5 Savannah Alderwoman and Mayor Pro-Tem, said.
“[It’s] a sales tax that would apply only to the city of Tybee Island, ” Tybee Island Mayor Brian West, said. “A municipal local option sales tax would be for infrastructure needs for the city. That would be for water, sewer, and storm water needs. Our infrastructure is very old. It’s been neglected for a long time.”
Affordable housing was also a focus during Wednesday’s discussions under the gold dome.
“Our inventory, it’s lower than the standard of what we need in reference to the growth in the City of Savannah,” Shabazz said.
“We’re going to have to work to solve the childcare crisis and the affordability of childcare in this state,” State Sen. Derek Mallow, (Ga.-2), said. “So, I’m working on a couple pieces of legislation to create a fund, to fund childcare in this state. We’re hoping to tie it to sports betting. There’s only two ways to raise revenue – to raise taxes or to raise revenue, and we have to raise revenue.”
United States Representative Nikema Williams (D-Atlanta) is opting-out of continuing to seek a slot with the Democratic National Committee, according to the AJC.
U.S. Rep. Nikema Williams withdrew her bid Saturday for a Democratic National Committee post that would have given her an influential role in shaping the strategy to counter President Donald Trump.
Williams must now return home and decide whether she wants to engage in a messy internal fight to remain the leader of the Democratic Party of Georgia. Had she won the national post, she would have stepped down to take the new role.
Williams has been under intense pressure by U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff and other Democratic officials to step aside from her unpaid, volunteer role as chair of the Democratic Party of Georgia after Trump recaptured the state in November. Party leaders are weighing a rule change that would make the party chair a paid full-time position.
She mounted her DNC campaign a month ago, pledging to bring the voter rights know-how and grassroots lessons she gleaned from decades of activism in Georgia to help deflated Democrats respond to Trump’s comeback win.
Nasty internal Democratic finger-pointing has followed Trump’s victory in Georgia, one of seven battleground states the Republican swept in November on his way to a second term.
Lowndes County is considering opting out of the HB 581 homestead exemption, according to the Valdosta Daily Times.
If a local government chooses to “opt out,” the press release said, it can be opted back in by a new homestead exemption implemented in the future. However, if a local government remains “in,” there is not an option in the statute to opt out later in the event of changed circumstances or unintended consequences.
“Local government officials are elected to govern locally,” the release said. “If a local government or school system stays in, House Bill 581 would erode the ability of local elected officials to represent taxpayers by narrowing options for making the best and most efficient allocation of revenues as tax dollars are returned to citizens through services each budget year.”
Current considerations for Lowndes County include the following:
- The gap between the actual fair market value and the capped value will increase over time and could result in a need to increase millage rates to make up the difference in revenue required to provide services.
- Homestead property owners would have stability in the amount of increase annually.
- The percentage increase would be determined by an inflationary index chosen by the revenue commissioner of the state of Georgia, someone local citizens did not elect.
- The benefit to homestead property owners would increase over time as long as they own the property.
- The benefit is also not equitable from the beginning, if all homestead properties are not valued properly.
- Taxes on other properties (rentals, businesses, farms, etc.) would increase to make up for the benefit to homestead properties. This could have a substantial negative impact on business, industry, affordable housing, rental rates, and Lowndes County’s agricultural community.
- Tax inequities would be created based on long-term ownership versus newer ownership.
- The exemption may disincentivize sale of homestead properties.
- It may also disincentive the recruitment or expansion of businesses to Lowndes County.
- Lowndes County already has a $6,000 homestead exemption for homeowners up to 65 years of age and a $10,000 homestead exemption for homeowners 65 and older. These exemptions are significantly more than the state statutory exemptions.
House Bill 581 will not have the same consequences for every city, county, and school system across the state, the Lowndes County press release said. Some local governments and school systems in Georgia may stay in or opt out partly due to other local exemptions that provide relief to property owners.
Lowndes County is sensitive to rising property assessments. Those 65 and older may be financially vulnerable due to increases in the cost of living to include rising property values.
“Lowndes County is committed to working with other local governments and the school systems in our community to explore an even more meaningful senior exemption,” stated Chairman Bill Slaughter. “An increased senior exemption will provide an immediate benefit without significantly shifting a portion of taxes to non-homestead parcels,” Slaughter added.
In accordance with guidelines set forth by House Bill 581, Lowndes County will hold three public hearings….
Chatham County is holding meetings to discuss whether to opt out, according to the Savannah Morning News.
Last week’s On Our Radar provided public notice on the city of Savannah’s upcoming public hearings on HB581, which creates a statewide floating homestead exemption.
Now, the Chatham County Board of Commissioners adopted its hearing calendar this week. This installment will provide the schedule and comments from county officials on the topic.
Just like the city of Savannah, Chatham County has signaled its intent to opt-out of the statewide homestead exemption created by HB581. That intent requires public hearings on the topic before the Board of Commissioners adopts its decision by resolution.
The reason for the intent to opt out is due to the existing Stephens-Day exemption available in Chatham County. For the county, the Stephens-Day exemption puts a freeze on your assessed property value. HB581’s exemption would allow the assessed value to increase with the rate of inflation.
“The bottom line is, you can’t do any better than a freeze,” said Chatham County Attorney R. Jonathan Hart.
Norman Park City Council members said they will not opt out of the HB 581 homestead exemption, according to the Moultrie Observer.
Three residents attended the meeting, along with city councilmen Waylon Stuckey and Sam Brown and City Clerk Hope Amador.
“We’re not opting out of the Homestead,” Stuckey stated. “We’re going to keep things the way they are.”
In the Jan. 22, edition of the Moultrie Observer, the City of Norman Park ran an advertisement stating its intent to opt out of the statewide adjusted base year ad valorem homestead exemption.
Amador said that, because of the March 1 deadline for opting out of the legislation and because the city did not have its financial reports at the time, they went ahead and ran the advertisement in The Moultrie Observer to keep their options open as they considered what to do.
She also said, with Stuckey agreeing, that the advertisement is worded exactly the way House Bill 581 requires it to be worded to run in the newspaper.
“Our intent was never to opt-out,” said Stuckey.
Amador said that, as the hearings are already advertised, she will be at the Norman Park City Hall for each of the remaining two in case a resident had any further questions about the homestead exemption. The hearings are Wednesday, Feb. 5, at 10 a.m. and at 6:30 p.m.
HB 581, which passed the Legislature last year and was approved by voters in November, creates a variable homestead exemption to limit an increase in the taxable value of a homesteaded property based on the previous year’s inflation rate, as determined by the state Department of Revenue. The same law creates a Floating Local Option Sales Tax, or FLOST, that replace property tax revenue with sales tax revenue for cities and counties.
The Gwinnett County Board of Education voted to end early the contract of Superintendent Calvin Watts, according to AccessWDUN.
The Gwinnett County Board of Education voted 3-2 to prematurely end the contract of Superintendent Dr. Calvin J. Watts.
The contract ending will be in effect on April 1 of this year.
The board also voted 4-1 to name GCPS Chief of Schools Dr. Al Taylor the Interim Superintendent effective April 2.
The reasoning behind the change has not been clearly stated as of yet as the vote occurred on Friday.
Statesboro is considering a new fee for fire service within the city, according to the Statesboro Herald.
City Council last week ordered a feasibility study for a possible fire service fee. Beginning in mid-2026 at the earliest, the fee could be to billed to all or almost all city service customers within Statesboro, including tax-exempt properties, as a funding source for the Statesboro Fire Department.
Statesboro Fire Chief Tim Grams led a brief presentation on the idea during the 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 28, mayor and council work session. Council members then voted 4-0 during the 5:30 p.m. meeting to accept City Manager Charles Penny’s recommendation and contract with the engineering and planning consultant firm Goodwyn Mills Cawood, or GMC, to conduct the study for $60,000.
Mountain Judicial Circuit Chief Superior Court Judge Russell William “Rusty” Smith died last week, according to AccessWDUN.
Smith was a partner at Sanders, Smith, and Ranck from 1993-2010, was the Stephens County Attorney from 2002-2007 and was appointed Judge of Superior Court, Mountain Judicial Circuit by Governor Sonny Perdue in 2010, serving in that position until his passing on Tuesday.
In his time on the Mountain Circuit bench, Judge Smith established and continued to preside over the Accountability Court programs in the Mountain Judicial Circuit.
Columbus Clerk of Council Sandra Davis has died, according to WTVM.
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