Hall County voters approved a pair of local ballot questions Tuesday.
A binding referendum for a school tax exemption for senior citizens passed by 92 percent, with only 3,810 voters saying "no."
As it stands now, even if taxpayers are eligible for partial exemptions in their 60s, they have to reapply for full exemptions in their 70s. The passage of the referendum means those taxpayers automatically would become eligible once they hit 70.
The partial school tax exemption takes $30,000 off the assessed property value for the school portion of property taxes.
A nonbinding referendum to split ad valorem payments into two annual payments instead of the current single payment passed, though not by a big of a majority as the homestead exemption. Some 69 percent of Hall County ballots were cast in favor of the suggestion.
A nonbinding referendum is used to gauge public opinion on a matter. The nonbinding referendum on this year's ballot came about after a Hall County resident presented the board with a request to collect taxes twice a year due to seemingly conflicting local rules.
These local officials were uncontested on the fall ballot and won office:
- State Senate, 49th District, Lee Hawkins, R-Gainesville
- State House, District 26, Carl Rogers, R-Gainesville
- State House, District 27, Doug Collins, R-Gainesville
- State House, District 31, Tommy Benton, R-Jefferson
- Hall County Commissioner at Large (Chairman), Tom Oliver, R
- Hall County Commissioner, Post 2, Billy Powell, R
- Hall County Commissioner, Post 4, Ashley Bell, D
- Hall County Board of Education, Post 3, Craig Herrington, R
- Hall County Board of Education, Post 4, Nath Morris, R
- Probate Court Judge, Patti Cornett, R
- Clerk of Superior Court, Charles Baker, R
- Sheriff, Steve Cronic, R
- Tax Commissioner, Keith Echols, R
- Coroner, Marion G. Merck, R
- Surveyor, Chris M. Patton, R
- Chief Magistrate, Margaret Gregory, R
- Solicitor General, Larry A. Baldwin, R