As state legislators continue to consider various bills on issues ranging from illegal immigration to dealing with convicted sex offenders, there's an awful lot of silence coming from Atlanta on the state of property tax reform.

That’s too bad, since there finally seemed to be the political will in Atlanta to help homeowners who have been paying the price in taxes for the coast’s rapid growth.

Not surprisingly, those who depend on tax dollars to run local government across Georgia have been opposed to most of these measures. Many met with legislators in Atlanta on Feb. 26 to get their points across and some of their objections make sense. But it's becoming increasingly clear to us that those in government and those on the paying end of the equation are talking two different languages.

For example: homeowners resentful of the increased burden placed upon their paychecks may see as long overdue a measure such as Senate Resolution 796, which is calling for an amendment to the Georgia constitution that basically would freeze the valuation of property and limit tax increases. While not necessarily a tax cut, it is a tax freeze.

But the Association of County Commissioners calls limits on taxation "revenue caps." And therein lies the problem, we think. What one group defines as a tax is being defined by the other as revenue.

Here, from the group’s Feb. 28 Legislative Update, is a list of reasons why they think "revenue caps" are a bad idea.

As we said earlier, the ACCG has some valid points. Unfunded mandates aren’t fair; the cost of providing services is going up; there’s no way government can control lawsuits and no one can foresee what the future may hold in terms of emergencies.

But there are other items in the list that from a taxpayer standpoint may be harder to understand, beginning with the ACCG’s referring to the cap as "artificial." Try telling that to a homeowner who has seen his taxes double or even triple in recent years. There was nothing artificial about that − and a resulting cut or limit would be equally real to the taxpayer.

In addition, responsible families have had to make hard financial choices in recent years and are dealing with many of the same issues as local government. Perhaps the folks in the ACCG, whom we believe are well intended, should ask those families how they deal with such pressures.

From our experience, it’s usually called a budget − and learning how to lower expenses when necessary. If the ACCG wants help in figuring out how to do that, we’re sure there are many families in coastal Georgia who would be willing to help them out.

Contact your local state representatives and senators: Rep. Ron Stephens at (404) 656-5122 or 966-5665; Rep. Bob Lane at (404) 656-5138 or 764-6813; or Sen. Eric Johnson at (404) 656-5109 or 443-1577.