The BOE’s finance committee has scheduled a meeting for 8 a.m. Wednesday.

“The recommendations brought back from the finance committee will require full board action and much consideration,” Atwater said.

The City of Tifton and Tift County Board of Commissioners had also set their 2008-2009 budgets when they heard the news of state cuts. All three local government entities are continuing to ponder whether or not to give qualifying taxpayers the current homestead exemptions on this year’s property tax bills in hopes that the state will have the money to reimburse them or go ahead and collect the money fearing the state might not come through and pay them back.

Gov. Sonny Perdue announced two weeks ago that the state wouldn’t fund the Homeowner’s Tax Relief Grant, estimated at $428 million statewide. Under the grant, first implemented in 1999 by then-Gov. Roy Barnes, those who qualify for the exemption get a tax break and the state reimburses a portion of the tax cut to the counties, cities and school boards in the state.

Tift County’s portion of that tax credit equals $1.5 million for the 7,212 people in the county who qualify to receive it. The City of Tifton received approximately $101,000 in reimbursements from the state to cover the homestead exemption last year. All three are anticipating that if they are given the state reimbursement again this year, the amounts would be comparable to last year’s because there is no anticipated change in the tax digest.

To contact senior reporter Angie Thompson, call 382-4321.