Public Hearing: YES ? NO ? Department: Board of Commissioners - District 6
SUBJECT:
Title
Commission District(s): Commission District 6
To Appropriate $25,000 from the District 6 Reserve for Appropriation for Continued Support of the DeKalb County Age in Place with Dignity- Property Tax Workshops for Seniors By Seniors.
Body
Information Contact: Commissioner Edward C. "Ted" Terry
Phone Number: 404-371-4909
PURPOSE:
In 2022, D6 appropriated funding for three (3) free virtual property tax workshops to educate, assist in confirming that correct qualifying exemptions have been applied initially or at renewal, appeals to the Board of Equalizations are completed and filed correctly by the deadline, and postworkshop legal consultation for those who needed additional assistance with processing documents to meet or negotiate outstanding taxes that had to be paid in full on or before December 31st.
These virtual workshops were successful. Approximately 214 seniors participated. To continue this important opportunity, Commissioner Terry will support four (4) virtual workshops in 2023.
NEED/IMPACT:
There is only a 45-day application or appeal timeline, which begins with the current tax assessment. Many DeKalb County Seniors, "ageing in place" as well as underserved families and heirs are targeted for higher-than-normal tax increases due to neighborhood property sales and revitalization. There is a "tsunami" of tax delinquent homes that have or will soon, flood Magistrate Court with back tax liens and foreclosures. The Court has no option to mitigate and must enforce the law. More Senior citizen and underserved families will be displaced.
To help prevent this, our best interest is to support educating and raising awareness to elderly, disenfranchised, and underserved who could be subject to losing their homes. In 2022, Grandmama's House, LLC, facilitated three of these important workshops. This ye...
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