JONESBORO, Ga. — Clayton County is cracking down on the owners of abandoned and rundown buildings.
Buildings like the one on the corner of Tara Boulevard and Route 138 inspired the “Blight Tax," which was officially presented as the Community Improvement Tax Incentive program and brought before the Clayton County Commission earlier this month.
The idea is to tax property owners at a higher rate until they bring their properties up to code.
“It’s an eyesore and sits right on the corner," resident Meia Ballinger said.
Ballinger has lived in Clayton County for 14 years, and for 14 years, she says the abandoned, dilapidated gas station has been a problem.
“If you’re traveling down this road, Tara Boulevard daily to go to work or whatever you’ve got to do, you’ve got to look at this building," said Ballinger.
Several buildings like this exist all over the county, and now, leaders here are looking to penalize property owners with the so-called blight property tax.
“It provides an incentive for those who are not cleaning up their property to do so," said County Attorney Charles Reed.
The “blight tax” proposal calls for taxing violators up to seven times the current rate for properties until the problems are resolved.
After that, their tax burden would revert to levels lower than their original property tax rate. The commissioners didn't like that portion of the proposal.
"Lets just say I think this is a way of beginning to use loop holes for tax purposes," said Commissioner Demont Davis.
The Commission tabled the original proposal to get language commissioners to agree. They are slated to discuss it again at their next meeting on November 5.