Section 48-5-402. Public utility property in school districts subject to school tax; returns to show fair market value of property; assessment and collection of school tax by commissioner; contesting taxability

   (a) All real and personal property including, but not limited to, franchises belonging to a public utility which is required to make its returns to the commissioner, when the property is within the taxable limits of any school district, shall be subject to taxation by the school district as fully and completely as is the property of other persons within the taxable limits of the school district.

(b) (1) It is the duty of every public utility, in addition to the facts otherwise required to be included in its returns to the commissioner, to show in its return the fair market value of its property in each of the school districts in which its property is located. For the purpose of enabling the public utility to show in its returns the fair market value of its property in each school district, each county superintendent of schools shall furnish to each public utility information as to the boundaries of each school district in which the public utility may have property so as to enable the public utility to determine the amount of its property in each school district. The county superintendent of schools shall also furnish similar information whenever the boundaries of any school district are changed.

   (2) The rolling stock, franchises, and other personal property of public utilities shall be distributed to the school districts on the same basis that rolling stock, franchises, and other personal property are distributed to counties and municipalities as provided by law.

(c) In all cases where taxes are authorized for school purposes in the counties or school districts, each public utility's annual return to the commissioner shall set forth all its taxable property in the county or school district. The commissioner shall fix the proposed assessment of the utility's property for school purposes at the same time and in the same manner as he is authorized by law to fix the proposed assessment of the property for ordinary county purposes. The commissioner shall assess the property of railroad equipment companies and shall apply the school tax rate fixed by the school authorities in the counties or school districts. The school tax rate shall be certified and transmitted to the commissioner by the county authorities at the same time they certify to the commissioner the county tax rate for ordinary county purposes.

(d) The commissioner shall use the same procedures for collecting school taxes of railroad equipment companies, insofar as they can be applied, as are provided for the collection of county taxes due from railroad equipment companies under Code Section 48-5-519. When it becomes necessary for the commissioner to issue a tax fi. fa. for county purposes as well as for school purposes, he may include the school tax in the fi. fa. and shall specify separately in the assessment and tax execution the amount of the county taxes for ordinary purposes and the amount for school purposes so that the tax commissioner or tax collector, after collecting the taxes, can pay over each tax to the proper person authorized by law to receive the tax. Should the taxpayer desire to contest the taxability of his property, as provided under this subsection and Code Section 48-5-403, he may do so by bringing an action for equitable relief in the Superior Court of Fulton County.

Ga. L. 1910, p. 22, § 3; Ga. L. 1919, p. 288, §§ 132, 133; Code 1933, §§ 32-1116, 32-1117, 92-6803; Code 1933, § 91A-1703, enacted by Ga. L. 1978, p. 309, § 2; Ga. L. 1988, p. 1568, § 3.