Mableton Just Launched a New Public Safety Hardship Program: Here's What You Need to Know

During a special called city council meeting on Tuesday, November 10, the Mableton City Council officially established the Public Safety Special Service District Senior and Financial Hardship Relief Program. 

Recognizing that sudden life events and fixed budgets can cause serious financial strain, the city council created this initiative to offer manageable payment alternatives and penalty relief for the upcoming public safety district assessments.

As Mayor Michael Owens noted during the meeting, 

"I believe this is what responsible government looks like… We should be reasonable and compassionate with our residents that find themselves in hardship."

Before we dive into how the program works, a quick heads-up: the city is currently finalizing the paperwork. As City Attorney Emilia Walker-Ashby explained, "We would like the administrative flexibility to have until Monday [November 16] to have the application available to the public."

While you wait for the official forms to drop next week, here is the general gist of how the program works so you can be ready to take advantage of it.

Who is Eligible?

While the program is open to all qualified property owners (and trustees, who have the exact same rights to apply as title owners), the city is prioritizing applications from:

• Seniors: Residents 65 and older facing financial distress.

• Fixed-Income Households: Those relying on Social Security, SSI, SSDI, pensions, or veterans' benefits.

• Verified Hardships: This includes job loss, catastrophic medical debt, the onset of a disability, the death of a primary earner, or natural disaster emergencies.

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The Step-by-Step Playbook

(Note: This playbook is based on discussions from the November 10 city council meeting. It provides a general overview of the process, but does not constitute the final, full legal details.)

Approval power is held strictly by the finance director, the city manager, or their designees. This gives the city the flexibility it needs to get these approved quickly. Here is the payment structure you can expect once approved:

1. Submit the Application In Person Head to the city administration facility, located at 1245 Veterans Memorial Highway SW, Ste 20, to execute a brief, notarized form. You will need to provide basic details like your property address, email, phone number, and tax parcel ID, along with a few standard acknowledgments.

2. Pay the 10% Initial Installment To officially join the program, your initial payment will be 10% of your total assessment. You will pay this amount on the exact same day you submit and sign your application. You can pay online or right there in the office, and the system will let you know exactly how much balance you have left.

3. Make 4 Monthly Payments of 25% Instead of paying a lump sum by the original December 4 deadline, you will make a series of additional monthly payments. Your next payment in January will be 25% of the remaining balance. In February, you will pay another 25% of the remaining balance, and you will continue doing this through March. The fourth and final payment of 25% will be in April. Keep in mind: this is not a billing system. You won't receive monthly statements in the mail, so you will need to track these dates yourself.

4. Pay the Whittled-Down Final Balance by April 5 Once April arrives, your total amount owed will be whittled down significantly because you will have already paid the 10% deposit and three 25% monthly payments. Your final payment in early April will just be whatever remainder is left on the outstanding balance.

The Fine Print

Local taxes can generate confusion on neighborhood apps, so let's separate fact from fiction on what this program actually does:

• Your house and credit are protected. While entering this payment plan is technically a delinquency, the city is making a commitment to you. As long as you follow the payment schedule, the city will not make a tax execution (file a document against your house), will not assess late penalties, and it will absolutely not impact your credit score.

• Principal isn't forgiven. Under Georgia state law, the city cannot reduce your underlying principal tax liability or grant exemptions. This program just restructures how and when you pay it without getting hit with late fees.

• Missing the April 5 deadline has consequences. If you still have an outstanding balance after April 5, the relief period ends. At that point, the city returns to its normal process and exercises its discretion to apply penalties and tax executions for non-payment.

I hope this guide helps you get more information about the program so you can make the best decision for your household. Be sure to check the city's website for more information as the official application becomes available on Monday, November 16.