Atlanta's city leaders are poised to levy a punitive "blight tax" on absentee owners of rundown properties in a bid to tackle the problem of urban decay and housing shortage. The proposed ordinance, unveiled by Mayor Andre Dickens and city council member Byron Amos, intends to pressure property owners into maintaining or relinquishing control of their neglected assets, targeting specifically dilapidated buildings that degrade community safety and vibrancy, Amos expressed concerns about the impact of such properties on neighborhoods and schools, as FOX 5 Atlanta reports.
Under this new scheme, identified as absent property owners would face a tax increase that could be as much as 25 times the normal rate set to take effect on January 1, a move that seeks to jolt them into taking action, either to repair their properties or sell to someone who will, however, properties that are currently occupied or in use will be exempt from this hefty tax, according to details outlined by 11Alive.
Wayne Pittman, a Washington Park homeowner, highlighted to 11Alive the link between the abundance of abandoned homes in his area and the local crime rate, stating that there are rampant chaos "about 20, probably 30 abandoned homes, and you can just drive or walk, and you can see the chaos that goes on." Pittman, whose family has been a fixture in the neighborhood for over a century, believes that cleaning up these properties could significantly reduce crime.
The blight tax is not without incentives for compliance; city officials have proposed reductions in tax charges as a reward to property owners who make the necessary improvements to meet city codes, thereby reaping benefits for the city's general bank account, wherein the revenues from the tax would be deposited, yet these incentives seem secondary to the profound urge to rehabilitate neglected parts of the city, laying bare the struggle to reclaim derelict spaces, decried for their role in the community's disinvestment, as city officials iterate the tax's efficacy seen in other regions.
Atlanta's blight tax ordinance is currently navigating through committee reviews, with council member Amos expressing hopes to have it considered by the full council for a vote in early August, this according to information provided by FOX 5 Atlanta.
