DeKalb House Delegation Issues Statement on the Homeownership Opportunity and Market Equalization Act of 2026

ATLANTA - The DeKalb County House Legislative Delegation Chair Karla Drenner (D-Avondale Estates), Vice Chair Viola Davis (D-Stone Mountain), Secretary Long Tran (D-Dunwoody), along with members of the DeKalb County House Legislative Delegation, issue the following statement regarding House Bill 1116, the Homeownership Opportunity and Market Equalization Act of 2026 and the accompanying constitutional amendment, House Resolution 1114:

"We are raising concerns about two pending pieces of legislation that could reduce local revenue for public education, create a projected $100 million budget deficit for the DeKalb County School District and affect funding under the Education Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (ESPLOST).

"According to DeKalb Board of Education officials, the proposed measures would reduce the local property tax base that funds public schools, shifting financial responsibility back to counties and municipalities without providing a replacement funding mechanism. Without a replacement mechanism, local school districts may be forced to absorb financial losses.

"If enacted, the impact would be immediate for Metro Atlanta districts, particularly DeKalb County. DeKalb County serves more than 90,000 students, making it one of the largest school systems in Georgia. A $100 million shortfall would likely result in larger class sizes, teacher layoffs and staffing freezes, cuts to student support services, reduced funding for special education and academic intervention programs, deferred maintenance and facility upgrades and potential school consolidations or closures.

"This financial instability would disproportionately impact students in historically underserved and under-resourced communities. Public education funding must be approached responsibly and transparently. Any proposal that risks destabilizing large school systems without a clear replacement plan puts our students, teachers and families in jeopardy. DeKalb County cannot sustain a $100 million deficit without consequences to classroom instruction and student services. We must pause and fully evaluate the long-term impact before moving forward.

"DeKalb is not alone. Other Metro Atlanta school systems would also experience strain under the proposed legislation. These districts educate a substantial portion of Georgia's public-school students and serve as economic anchors for their communities. School system stability directly affects property values, municipal budgets, public safety partnerships, local and economic development and workforce readiness.

"Cities across DeKalb County have expressed opposition to the bills, citing concerns about long-term fiscal sustainability and the ripple effects on families and neighborhoods. In addition to education funding concerns, fiscal analysts warn that several counties could face difficulty maintaining basic government services if local revenue structures are weakened without replacement.

"Local governments rely on stable revenue streams to fund public safety, infrastructure, parks and recreation, libraries and health and human services. Without a comprehensive fiscal transition plan, the legislation would create instability not only in schools, but across county and municipal government operations.

"A projected $100 million deficit is not a routine budget adjustment-it is a structural disruption to how DeKalb funds classrooms and builds schools. Beyond immediate impacts to staffing and student services, this legislation threatens our ability to leverage ESPLOST for long-term capital improvements, modernization and facility safety upgrades.

"What is often overlooked is the statewide funding framework. Donor counties like DeKalb, Fulton and Cobb do not receive Equalization or Sparsity Grants, but we help sustain the revenue base that makes those rural supports possible. Weakening that structure creates a domino effect that could destabilize both metro and rural districts alike.

"This is not a regional debate-it is a question of statewide fiscal stability. Any reform must include a clear, responsible replacement plan to protect every child in Georgia.

"The DeKalb County House Legislative Delegation stands united in opposition to these bills because they create financial risk for local schools, lack replacement funding mechanisms, shift fiscal burdens to counties without safeguards and could force cuts to classrooms and student services.

"We are calling for a comprehensive fiscal impact analysis before passage, public hearings in affected Metro Atlanta communities and a responsible funding transition plan that protects students, teachers and local governments. Georgia must not move forward with policies that destabilize its largest school systems without careful considerations and full transparency."

*Editor's note: Reps. Drenner, Davis and Tran have provided a photo included below.

Representative Karla Drenner represents the citizens of District 85, which includes a portion of DeKalb County. She was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2000 and currently serves as Secretary of the Small Business Development Committee. She also serves on the Energy, Utilities & Telecommunications, Natural Resources & Environment, Public and Community Health, Rules and Urban Affairs committees, as well as the Special Committee on Resource Management.

Representative Viola Davis represents the citizens of District 87, which includes a portion of DeKalb County. She was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2018 and currently serves on the Defense & Veterans Affairs, Health, Insurance, Natural Resources & Environment and Urban Affairs committees.

Representative Long Tran represents the citizens of District 80, which includes a portion of DeKalb County. He was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2022 and currently serves on the Creative Arts & Entertainment, Natural Resources & Environment and Technology & Infrastructure Innovation committees.

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