Georgia Supreme Court Tax Ruling an Atlanta BeltLine Victory
Jim Burress / WABE News
The Supreme Court of Georgia has turned back the latest attempt to stop school tax revenue from being used on non-school projects, and that ruling is a major victory for the Atlanta BeltLine.
In 2008, the state’s highest court ruled in favor of a group trying to stop school tax dollars from being used in Atlanta for the City’s “tax allocation” districts including the BeltLine.
Later the same year, the Georgia legislature passed a constitutional amendment saying, as long as school districts approved, it municipalities could use school revenue for non-school redevelopment projects. And the voters ratified that amendment.
The latest suit, filed by John Sherman of the Fulton County Taxpayers Foundation, contended the amendment is irrelevant. But the court said the Georgia Constitution is the “supreme state law” and that it is also permissible for the constitution to, in essence, overrule the court itself.
In a statement Monday, Atlanta City Attorney Cathy Hampton said, “The City of Atlanta is pleased with today’s unanimous ruling.”
Neither Sherman nor his lawyers returned call for comment before deadline.
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