Macon-Bibb Voters to Decide Senior Tax Exemptions
Macon-Bibb County and the Bibb County School District will put separate senior property tax exemption referendums on the Nov. 3 ballot.
Updated on Nov. 1, 2026 in City Hall
Live Poll
Should Macon-Bibb County expand property tax exemptions for seniors, even with higher blight taxes?
Macon-Bibb County and the Bibb County School District will place referendums on the Nov. 3 ballot to expand property tax exemptions for seniors. Residents aged 65 to 74 would receive a $17,000 exemption, those aged 75 to 84 would receive $32,000, and those 85 and older would have their homes fully exempt.
Why it matters
Many seniors live on fixed incomes and need property tax relief, while many property owners face increases from reassessments and new millage rates. Enacting the exemptions would cost each taxing entity $1.5 million annually.
The exemptions would cost Macon-Bibb County and the Bibb County School District $1.5 million each annually, and the county plans to raise its blight tax, split with the school district, to offset the decrease. The outcome of both referendums will not be known until voters decide at the polls.
The players
Lester Miller
Mayor of Macon-Bibb County, who originally introduced the senior property tax exemptions in August 2025.
Dale Washburn
Georgia State Representative who co-sponsored the bills that created the referendums.
The details
Bibb County will raise its blight tax, which it splits with the school district, to offset the revenue lost to the exemptions. Businesses whose Payment in Lieu of Taxes agreements expire will return to the tax roll, and State Representative Dale Washburn co-sponsored the bills that created the referendums.
Timeline
August 2025: Mayor Lester Miller originally introduced the senior exemptions.
Nov. 3, 2026: Voters decide the referendums at the polls.
Political Context
Georgia's local referendum process lets county and school boards place tax changes directly before voters rather than enacting them unilaterally. Statewide, voters will also decide on making probate judge races nonpartisan, a separate ballot measure on the same Nov. 3 ballot.
Eligible seniors would see reduced or eliminated property tax bills if voters approve the exemptions. Property owners in the county could see a higher blight tax bill as the county offsets the lost revenue.
The takeaway
Seniors and property owners in Macon-Bibb County should review the referendum language before Nov. 3 to understand how the exemptions and blight tax change would affect their own tax bills.
What happens next
Voters will decide both referendums on Nov. 3, 2026, determining whether the senior exemptions take effect.
Further reading
Track the latest decisions and proposals at City Hall coverage in Macon.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Telegraph.
Live Poll
Should Macon-Bibb County expand property tax exemptions for seniors, even with higher blight taxes?
