VALDOSTA, GA. (WTXL) — As Georgia lawmakers debate tax cuts and making life affordable for working Georgians, the conversation about affordability isn’t abstract for families here in Lowndes County — it’s deeply personal.
- Georgia lawmakers are debating income tax elimination and property tax relief during this session, helping homeowners, small businesses, and the working class.
- Right now, Georgia’s 5.19 percent income tax brings in about 16 billion dollars a year — money that funds everything from schools to state services.
- Watch the video below to see how two Lowndes County entrepreneurs work while navigating an uncertain economy.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Georgia lawmakers are debating tax relief under the Gold Dome, but the conversation about affordability isn’t just political here in Lowndes County — it’s personal, and it’s powerful.
I’m Malia Thomas, your neighborhood news reporter in Valdosta, speaking with two local mothers who turned hardship into hope while watching proposals that could shape their future.
At the Georgia Capitol, lawmakers are weighing competing tax plans — one aimed at eventually phasing out the state income tax, and another focused on easing property taxes.
For families here at home, the question is simple: how do we keep moving forward?
For Kathryn Patrick, moving forward came after heartbreak.
“Two months into the pregnancy, I had a miscarriage, and it led me to finding that I had stage 3 rectal cancer. Our baby would have been named Natalie Grace.”
Kathryn’s husband works in agriculture — an industry that has taken its own hits in the wake of Hurricane Helene. After losing their daughter, Kathryn chose to build something of her own, creating a business rooted in healing, purpose, and community.
“We pay a lot of money in property taxes, trying to make it so that prices are good, so that people are coming in and spending money in our stores,” Patrick said. “But our small businesses are truly the heartbeat of the community, and without them, that heartbeat goes away.”
That same heartbeat is alive and well just a few blocks away.
In Downtown Hahira, Valdosta native Leesa Williams opened her boutique, Lili Rayne — named after her stillborn daughter — not just to make a living, but to build a legacy for her family.
“The economy is affecting a lot of people, but it’s not affecting everybody,” Williams said. “I’m still trying to make sure that I can reach as many people as possible with my pricing, but it’s definitely difficult.”
Williams says any relief — whether through income or property taxes — could give small businesses like hers more breathing room, helping them grow, hire, and stay rooted right here in Lowndes County.
State leaders say affordability will remain top of mind this legislative session as lawmakers work toward policies they say will help Georgians live and thrive.
In Valdosta, I’m Malia Thomas, reporting for ABC 27.
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