MoCo Authorizes Timber Tax Relief Measure

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During their respective meetings, the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners and Board of Education each passed a resolution that will allow timber landowners to receive tax relief for lost timber during the devastation of Hurricane Helene. This resolution comes from the state’s provision of a special grant, which will help to fund the local governments without counties charging ad valorem taxes on sales of timber that occurred from October throughout the remainder of 2025. The money received from the state for this grant will be based on the average amount of money earned through these taxes over the past 3 years.

When discussing the resolution at the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners meeting on Monday, July 14, Commissioner Amie Vassey addressed her fellow commissioners, as she stated how the resolution explained the tax relief did not coincide with what she had learned about the legislation in recent training.

“Basically, we are lifting the tax burden off of the citizens who lost timber because of Hurricane Helene, but the state is going to be sending us funds to recoup that, so we are not actually taking a financial loss,” Vassey clarified, as she shared she wanted to ensure that there would be reimbursement from the state.

County Manager Heather Scott and Commissioner Pedro Sharpe confirmed this information and the state reimbursement. The resolution then passed unanimously.

One week later, at the Montgomery County Board of Education meeting on July 21, board members also authorized the resolution, as they agreed that no timber landowners who lost trees in the hurricane would pay taxes on that timber to the school system. “The Board of Commissioners have already passed this resolution, so this is just us coming together with them to provide some relief for the citizens,” Montgomery County Superintendent Ronda Hightower remarked.

Now that the resolution has passed, timber landowners should submit information regarding their losses to the county’s tax commissioner, who will forward that information on to the state. To contact the Montgomery County Tax Commissioner’s office, call (912) 583-4131.