Fighting
Blight By Olivia Morley
The Land Bank Authority is working
to get rid of dilapidated structures
and create affordable housing
When a house is foreclosed or abandoned, it is
often left to rot and collect dust.
These houses also begin to collect on the county
tax delinquent list. This list catalogs all properties that
were taken from private owners due to not paying their
property taxes.
Property taxes are one of the primary sources of
revenue for local government, with virtually all tax
money staying within Floyd County, according to Tax
Commissioner Kevin Payne.
Land Banks have become instrumental in ridding
areas of blighted houses and abandoned properties.
These nonprofits and governmental entities are
dedicated to bringing such properties back into
productive use.
According to Land Bank Authority Director Bekki
Fox, the main goals of land banks are to eliminate
blight, create affordable housing and get foreclosed
properties back on the county’s tax roll.
Before the establishment of a land bank in Rome
and Floyd County, tax delinquent properties would
be auctioned off. The auctions would often be unprofitable
for the county or wouldn’t even generate
money for the county.
“You really didn’t know who was purchasing the
properties and they weren’t held accountable,” Fox
said. “And a lot of times, people would buy those
properties at the auction, go out and see how bad
they were, and never pay their taxes. Then the
OUTLOOK | APRIL 2020 57