Proposed changes to State Constitution on the ballot

In addition to electing our next president and a host of other federal, state and local offices, Georgia voters will be voting on the following proposed amendments to the State Constitution in this year's General Election. Here are the questions and a brief explanation of each, so you can be an informed voter:

Amendment 1 - To encourage the preservation of Georgia's forests through a conservation use property tax reduction program.
Shall the Constitution of Georgia be amended so as to provide that the General Assembly by general law shall encourage the preservation, conservation, and protection of the state's forests through the special assessment and taxation of certain forest lands and assistance grants to local government? ___ YES ___ NO
This proposal would tax forest land based on actual use rather than the potential development value, bringing Georgia in line with other Southeastern states. To qualify for the special assessment, timber owners would have to agree not to subdivide or develop their land for at least 15 years, or face stiff financial penalties.

Amendment 2 - To authorize local school districts to use tax funds for community redevelopment purposes.
Shall the Constitution of Georgia be amended so as to authorize community redevelopment and authorize counties, municipalities, and local boards of education to use tax funds for redevelopment purposes and programs? ___ YES ___ NO
Under this amendment, school property tax revenue could be used to help fund redevelopment projects. Lawmakers passed a law in 1985 authorizing Tax Allocation Districts for redevelopment projects. This proposal responds to a state Supreme Court ruling earlier in the year prohibiting school tax money from being spent on anything other than education.Tax allocation bonds are government borrowings which are repaid specifically from future growth in the property tax digest of an area under redevelopment.

Amendment 3 - To authorize the creation of special Infrastructure Development Districts providing infrastructure to underserved areas.
Shall the Constitution of Georgia be amended so as to authorize the General Assembly to provide by general law for the creation and comprehensive regulation of infrastructure development districts for the provision of infrastructure as authorized by local governments? ___ YES ___ NO
Under this proposal, counties and cities would be allowed to approve "infrastructure development districts," meant largely for developers, who could borrow money to pay for infrastructure and amenities in their development. The developers would then levy fees on the people who buy the homes in the development to pay off the bonds.