|
The 9-1-1 Legislation, SB 387 Tabled Senate Bill 387 was tabled in the Senate Regulated Industries and Utilities Committee Wednesday, Feb. 24, due to concerns expressed by various telecommunications interests. The author did not feel there was enough time this session to reach a consensus on many aspects of the legislation. All stakeholders will continue to work on a long term solution for coordination, planning, and adequate funding for 9-1-1 centers. Fate of Bills to be Determined after Crossover Day The fate of many bills will be determined after Crossover Day on Monday, Feb. 29. Crossover Day is the last chance for a bill to pass out of the chamber in which it originated and potentially become state law. After Crossover, only 10 days will remain in the 2016 legislative session. It is during this time when ACCG strongly encourages county officials to remain informed and engaged by reviewing the bills in the weekly Legislative Update, monitoring the ACCG website for information, and watching for Action Alerts as legislation moves through the final and critical days of the session. Contact Your Legislators on These Two Bills Before Monday SB 375: An ACCG Priority Governing the Creation of New Cities Needs to Pass Senate by Crossover Day Please ask your senators to support this legislation which will be on the Senate floor on Monday. This legislation instills meaningful reforms and more predictability in the process of creating new cities in Georgia. Current law has very few requirements to formulate a new city, often putting legislators in the position of refereeing contentious local disputes with inadequate information by which both legislators and the public can make an informed decision. Among other provisions, this legislation expands the new city's impact study to look at the fiscal and service delivery impacts on the entire county, prohibits unincorporated islands, places several of the current "rules" in statute so that it cannot be changed in the middle of the process, and studies what impact the newly incorporated area will have on past pension obligations to the county. For a more detailed summary, please click here. HB 699: Dramatically Changes Commissioners’ Terms in Office Please call your representatives with any concerns on this legislation as it will be on the House floor on Monday. In an effort to address alleged malfeasance by outgoing (lame-duck) local officials, this legislation drastically moves the date on which a newly elected county commissioner takes office to the first Monday following the election, which is at least five days following the election's certification. Though the author stresses the need for election uniformity, the bill singles out city councils and county commissions. It does not apply to school boards or constitutional officers. Furthermore, any actions taken by the BOC during the time between the date of an election and the date that incoming city and county officials take office shall be voidable if such actions are rescinded by the governing authority for a 30-day period - beginning on the date when the last member of the governing authority elected takes office. If you have any concerns about SB375 or HB 699, please contact Todd Edwards at tedwards@accg.org. County Officials to Hear From House Speaker David Ralston at Final 2016 District Day County officials from districts 1, 2, 3 and 5 will converge in Atlanta/Fulton County for the final 2016 District Day at the Capitol Wednesday, March 2. They will have the opportunity to hear from House Speaker David Ralston as he will serve as the keynote speaker. Attendees will also receive updates from the Georgia Department of Transportation and the Department of Revenue. Click here for more information.
|