AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - Richmond County school leaders on Tuesday started holding hearings on their plans to opt out of the statewide cap on property tax hikes. Meanwhile, Columbia County commissioners announced their intention to follow that path, too.

The Richmond County School System held a hearing Tuesday to let the public weigh in.

How would the cap affect property owners?

" I think it’d be difficult to determine long term how many people will necessarily benefit,” Richmond County Chief Appraiser Scott Rountree said. “But I think it is, it is definitely geared toward property owners who own and live in their properties for a long time.”

Before opting out of the so-called “floating” rate, the Richmond County Board of Education had to schedule a series of public hearings, and Tuesday’s was the first.

The other hearings are planned at 3:30 p.m. Jan. 22 and 6 p.m. Jan. 27, followed by a vote of the school board on the matter at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 27.

Meanwhile, the Columbia County Board of Commissioners said Tuesday it intends to opt out of the statewide adjusted base year ad valorem homestead exemption for Columbia County.

Tuesday’s announcement came after officials said last week they were exploring their options.

The Columbia County Board of Commissioners is having the required public hearings to gather citizen input.

Last week, Columbia County officials looked at the measure voters approved in November that would implement a statewide optional “floating” homestead exemption from taxes .

This means local governments have a chance to opt out of the new Georgia law that puts a cap on tax increases on your home.

House Bill 581 is meant to change how local governments look at property taxes with your homestead exemption.

Lawmakers drafted this with the purpose of putting a cap on how much property taxes could rise each year to prevent tax spikes.

It’s a new system meant to ease the burden on people with fixed incomes or salaries that can’t keep up with growing market values.

“You only get so many bites at the apple to control taxes, and we want to get it right,” Doug Duncan, chairman of Columbia County Commission, said last week as officials examined whether to opt out .

All local governments and school boards have until March 1 to decide what they will do and if they opt out, it will go to the state for approval.