“The impact of blight on urban communities cannot be overstated. Abandoned properties, vacant lots, and other signs of neglect can lead to economic decline, increased crime, and decreased quality of life for residents, according to Data Smart City Solutions.

With that kind of thinking in mind, shortly before July 4th, Atlanta’s Mayor Andre Dickens, in tandem with city councilmember Byron Amos, proposed a potent new tax, intended to push owners of vacant, unoccupied properties to fix them up – or pay the price.

This so-called “blight tax” could permit municipal courts to levy property taxes on blighted properties by up to 25 times the current city rates. When the property has been returned to productive use the city would then consider rewarding the actions with a discounted tax rate.

“Since taking office our administration has moved with urgency to address substandard housing and root out negligent property owners,” said the mayor in a city release. “This new policy will equip the city with a powerful tool for cracking down on absentee owners who treat property as a cheap investment vehicle, rather than part of the fabric of our communities.”

Additionally, owners of larger properties would also need to agree to a detailed plan that “addresses neighborhood objectives around connectivity, transportation and public amenities that benefit the entire community.”

According to Amos, whose district has been particularly harmed by the prevalence of decaying dangerous deserted properties, his district’s residents “have for too long been subjected to neglected, blighted properties whose owners are content to wait to cash in. The Blight Tax will give us much greater leverage in persuading these owners to clean up their property or sell them to a better steward who will.”

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