Miller family representative seeks relief from CUVA removal; board says state law limits its authority

Melaine Ruhlman, identified in the minutes as a family representative for the Miller family, presented a case asking the Floyd County Board of Assessors to reconsider removal of Conservation Use Valuation Assessment (CUVA) status for tax year 2025. Ruhlman arrived after the meeting’s initial adjournment; Vice Chairman Robert (Bob) Henderson moved to reopen the meeting and Member Bill Gilliland seconded so she could present.

Chairman Peter Jordan told Ruhlman that Georgia law governs CUVA and explained the statutes that limit the board’s authority to alter state law or override statutory CUVA requirements. After the presentation and the legal explanation, the chair adjourned that portion of the meeting. The minutes do not record any formal motion or vote on the CUVA application itself at this meeting.

No next steps or deadlines for a formal board decision on the Miller family’s CUVA status are recorded in the meeting minutes. The record shows only that the family’s representative presented the case and that the chair emphasized legal constraints on the board’s ability to change state law.