Health & Fitness
2013 Legislative Blog Update by Rep. Jan Jones
An update regarding my most recent work for the good people of north Fulton in the General Assembly
Dear Friends and Neighbors:
As the legislative session progresses, I want to tell you about several bills that I and my fellow North Fulton legislators have been working on.
Our top priority this year is cutting Fulton County down to size and pressing for more efficient, effective services. In 2012, Fulton spent 121% more per capita than Gwinnett County and 68% per capita more than Cobb County.
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Granted, Fulton is the seat of Georgia’s government, so I could understand a reasonable amount more to account for the difference in the courts and jail services. But 121% more than Gwinnett? Fulton clearly isn’t managing its taxpayer resources as well as its taxpayers deserve.
In response, I’ve introduced legislation that will increase Fulton’s homestead exemption from $30,000 to $60,000 over a three-year phase-in period. Not only will this reduce property taxes for Fulton homeowners, but it will also encourage Fulton to focus on best practices in service delivery.
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In addition, I will champion a bill to restrict Fulton County’s ability to increase the millage rate in response to an increased homestead exemption or shift the burden to businesses.
I’ve also co-sponsored Rep. Lynne Riley’s House Bill 171, which will redistrict the Fulton County Commission to reflect changing population trends within the county, in accordance with the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The redistricting map eliminates one at-large commission seat. It includes six districts and one at-large seat for the chairman. This bill will help the Commission represent the actual population and demographics of the county as recorded by the 2010 Census. It will also make sure that communities of interest are fairly represented.
To increase the accountability and efficiency of Fulton’s government, I’ve co-sponsored Rep. Chuck Martin’s House Bill 172, which will move the county to a performance-based system for evaluating its employees. This new system will reward hardworking employees and help the county to better meet the needs of its residents.
As always, I look forward to hearing from my constituents, so feel free to visit me at the Capitol, call my office at 404-656-5072, or contact me through my Facebook page, facebook.com/janjonesforgeorgia.
Sincerely,
Jan Jones
State Representative
District 47, Fulton County
