BE IT RESOLVED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
9 SECTION 1.

Article VII, Section IIA of the Constitution is amended by revising Paragraph I as follows:
"Paragraph I. State and local grants; adjustment amount. (a) For each taxable year, a homeowner's incentive adjustment may be applied to the return of each taxpayer claiming such state-wide homestead exemption as may be specified by general law. The General Assembly by general law may authorize local governments and local school systems to establish local grant programs and to appropriate local tax funds in support of local homeowner's incentive adjustments.
(b) The amount of the adjustment applied pursuant to subparagraph (a) of this Paragraph may provide a taxpayer with a benefit equivalent to a homestead exemption of up to the taxpayer's ad valorem property tax liability on the homestead. The General Assembly may appropriate such amount each year for grants to local governments and local school systems as homeowner tax relief grants.
(c) The adjustments and grants authorized by this Paragraph shall be made in such manner and shall be subject to the procedures and conditions as may be specified by general law heretofore or hereafter enacted."

SECTION 2.
Article VIII, Section VI of the Constitution is amended by adding a new paragraph to read as follows:
"Paragraph V. Local school system local option sales tax. The General Assembly may provide by general law for local school systems to impose, levy, and collect a sales and use tax for the purpose of property tax relief of such local school system. Such tax shall be at the rate of 1 percent and shall be imposed for a period of time not to exceed five years. Proceedings for the reimposition of such tax shall be in the same manner as proceedings for the initial imposition of the tax, but the newly authorized tax shall not be imposed until the expiration of the tax then in effect."

SECTION 3.
The above proposed amendment to the Constitution shall be published and submitted as provided in Article X, Section I, Paragraph II of the Constitution. The ballot submitting the above proposed amendment shall have written or printed thereon the following:

"( ) YES
( ) NO
Shall property tax relief be provided to homeowners by authorizing local grants and adjustments, by removing the current cap on benefits provided to homeowners, and by authorizing the General Assembly to provide by general law for a sales tax to offset such property tax relief?"

All persons desiring to vote in favor of ratifying the proposed amendment shall vote "Yes."All persons desiring to vote against ratifying the proposed amendment shall vote "No." If such amendment shall be ratified as provided in said Paragraph of the Constitution, it shall become a part of the Constitution of this state.