Senate to introduce property tax reform

ATLANTA - Observers say legislation will be introduced in the Senate today to reform property tax assessments, while House members this week will try to finish work on midyear budget adjustments.

Assessments became an issue last year as land prices fell during the recession and homeowners complained local governments were slow in updating their tax digests to reflect new, lower values.

Senate Majority Leader Chip Rogers, R-Woodstock, said his bill is designed to provide tax relief to homeowners without changes so sudden that they jar cash-strapped school systems or city and county governments.

"Property owners are going to like it," Rogers said, but local governments should be content with it. "We hope we're not going to duke it out with them."

Meanwhile, the House plans to tackle the midyear budget, because state representatives know once they get through with that, they'll face the much tougher job of fine-tuning the state budget for fiscal-year 2011, which starts July 1.

Gov. Sonny Perdue has recommen