ATLANTA — Governor Brian Kemp says the state has more money than it needs and he hopes to give some back to taxpayers.
Kemp is currently in Switzerland talking to world leaders about Georgia’s economy, but he also presented his state budget to Georgia lawmakers via Zoom Tuesday.
Channel 2′s Dave Huddleston learned that the state has a $6.37 billion surplus, so he wants to give some of that money back to homeowners.
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“It will provide every eligible homeowner around $500 on average for this tax year,” Kemp said.
He also said anyone who files taxes in the state would also get money back - $250 for individuals and $500 back for joint filers.
“Returning more than 1 billion in surplus funds where they belong,” Kemp said. “Back to taxpayers’ wallets.”
As in previous budgets, Kemp proposes a $2,000 raise for teachers and support staff and a $50,000 grant for every school in the state to improve security.
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Channel 2 told Shante Brown about the governor’s budget and she liked the idea of getting money back.
“We could all use that extra cash, so I agree,” Brown said.
But David Posluszny and other democrats are asking if that surplus money could be put to better use before giving it all back.
“Where else could that money be spent?” Posluszny asked. “But if there is something not more pressing, we could all use 250 bucks.”
The governor’s budget proposal still has to progress through the legislative process.
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