06/12/2026
đź“Ś UPDATE ON THE JUNE 11 COMMISSIONER EMERGENCY MEETING:
Read the full post for all the details!
The Worth County Board of Commissioners held an emergency meeting on Thursday, June 11, at 12 noon. The meeting was originally scheduled to take place in the Commissioners’ Board Room, but due to the large crowd in attendance, it was moved to the courtroom.
The purpose of the meeting was to consider approval of Resolution 2026-09, requesting State Representative Bill Yearta to introduce local legislation on behalf of Worth County.
At the beginning of the meeting, County Attorney Rob Wilmot addressed the crowd and explained the purpose of the meeting, along with information about the bill being considered.
🏛️ ABOUT SB 33 AND LHOST
The resolution being considered is connected to Senate Bill 33, which passed during the 2026 legislative session and became effective on May 11, 2026. SB 33 is known as the Homeownership Opportunity and Market Equalization Act, or the “H.O.M.E. Act” of 2026. The purpose of the act is to help lower the property tax burden on homesteaded properties in Georgia.
The bill creates a new 1% Local Homestead Option Sales Tax, also known as LHOST, to help provide homestead property tax relief at the county and municipal level. The money that would be collected through LHOST will go into a separate fund and be applied to homestead taxes as an exemption. This would help REDUCE taxes on homestead properties.
đź“Ś WHAT IS REQUIRED?
The implementation of LHOST requires two steps:
A local act must be passed by a two-thirds vote of the Georgia General Assembly. Before it can be voted on by the General Assembly, the local Board of Commissioners must vote to authorize that local legislation be introduced to the Georgia General Assembly.
The measure must then be approved through a referendum, meaning it must be voted on and approved by Worth County voters before it can actually be implemented.
âś… WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
The action taken during the June 11 emergency meeting was the first step in that process. If the local legislation is approved by the Georgia General Assembly, the 1% LHOST could then be presented to Worth County voters in the November 2026 election.
Even if approved, the earliest an LHOST may be collected is January 1, 2028.
Abraham Lincoln’s well-known quote, “government of the people, by the people, for the people,” is a powerful reminder of the importance of citizen involvement. Our government works best when citizens stay informed, participate in the process, hold leaders accountable and make their voices heard.
This is not the only recent local government meeting that has drawn a large crowd, and it is encouraging to see citizens showing up, staying informed and being involved.
đź“° STAY INFORMED
Always stay informed and involved — not just on a few hot topics, but on ALL local government matters that affect us and our community. The Sylvester Local News covers county and city meetings in the weekly newspaper to help keep you informed about what is happening in our local government.
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🗳️ UPCOMING ELECTION
Also, be sure to stay informed about upcoming elections and get out and vote. The next election will be Tuesday, June 16. It is our civic duty to stay informed and let our voices be heard at the polls.
