Historical homes throughout Georgetown’s downtown area may now be eligible for tax exemptions after council’s passing of a new program Sept. 26.

What happened

Council approved the new Historic Tax Exemption Program with the goal of maintaining the historic nature of homes in Georgetown.

What residents should know

The purpose of the program, according to the city, is to:
  • Encourage the preservation of historically significant structures and homes
  • Maintain the look, feel and links to the past
  • Recognize investments made by the homeowners to maintain the historic properties
  • Promote additional investment in historic homes
To be eligible for the program, the property must be in either the downtown or Old Town overlay districts, officials said. However, if the property is within city limits and has received a Historic Landmark designation, it is also eligible for the program.


Other eligibility requirements include the following:
  • The property has to be one of the 1,123 single-family residential properties listed in the 2016 Historic Resource Survey.
  • The owner has to reside in the structure as their primary address.
  • The owner must complete a project costing $10,000 or more and obtain a Certificate of Appropriateness for the structure.
Eligible projects have an emphasis on exterior restoration, such as porch reconstruction, according to city documents. Ineligible projects include interior work or maintenance, such as landscaping, foundation work or remodeling internally.

There are three tiers of tax exemption based on project cost:
  • 25% tax exemption for a $10,000-$50,000 project
  • 50% tax exemption for a $50,001-$100,000 project
  • 75% tax exemption for a project more than $100,001
The exempted tax value fluctuates based on the property value, according to city documents. Multiple projects can qualify for an exemption but for only one at a time.

Learn more

The Historic Tax Exemption Program is scheduled to launch in January, officials said. Public outreach will be conducted in October through December.


Assistant to the City Manager Jessica Clarke said at a September City Council meeting that the program will expire in January 2027 unless it is extended.