NEWTON COUNTY – The Newton County Board of Commissioners met Thursday, Jan. 16 to have a work session about House Bill 581 (HB581). HB581, also known as the Save the Homes Act, was passed by the General Assembly last April and voted into law by Georgians in November. It enacts a floating homestead exemption, which, in essence, freezes homeowners’ property taxes at a fixed rate for future years (with certain stipulations and exemptions). Newton County voters were mostly in favor of HB581 during the November election, with 56.75 percent voting ‘yes.’ However, each governmental entity has the option to opt out of the bill.