This is just a reminder that March 1^st is the deadline for applying for most homestead and other specialized exemptions that may reduce your property taxes such as the Standard Homestead Exemption and numerous other exemptions that apply to veterans and senior citizens (age 62 and over). Some exemptions are dependant on income as well as age.

Also available is a Conservation Covenant (usually, but not always, requiring 10 acres or greater) that dramatically reduces property taxes.

Special note:

To those of you who disagreed with your recent property tax assessment but did not file an appeal in the specified time frame, but later, (after the shocking increase on your tax bill), wished that you had filed an appeal, there is still hope for future adjustments. You can file a return disputing your current assessment, but you must do so soon. This will generate a new assessment notice later this year and thereby open a new window of opportunity to file an appeal. Otherwise you will not receive an assessment notice this year unless there is a change in assessment and therefore no window of opportunity (to appeal) will be offered.

If you find that an obvious mistake has been made in data collected, such as wrong acreage, square footage, etc. it is more likely than not that the Tax Assessors Office (706-439-6011) will make corrections on the spot.

I can tell from personal experience that this office has greatly improved its’ attention to accuracy and fairness regarding uniformity in property assessments that insure that we each pay only our “fair share” of tax.

Eddie Woodliff

Chairman, Union County Republican Party