Homeowners to take hit under Perdue's plan

ATLANTA - Homeowners will take a hit under Governor Perdue&#39;s plan to curb the tax relief program started by former Governor Roy Barnes four years ago. <br> <br> The current plan allows homeowners to escape local property taxes on the first $25,000 of their homes&#39; value. The average tax break to homeowners was estimated at $210. <br> <br> The program works only because the state is paying some $285 million to local governments to compensate them for the tax revenue they are losing because of the prorgam. <br> <br> Under Perdue&#39;s plan, homeowners will be able to shield only the first ten-thousand dollars of the value of their homes. That means the state&#39;s cost will be cut to $89 million and the average tax bill will be raised by $155.