This legislation, another attempt at limiting home rule, prohibits counties and cities from adopting zoning ordinances which prohibit residential property owners from raising any crops, milk goats, chickens or rabbits so long as these are for personal consumption -- despite its impact on neighboring property values. A similar bill passed through the House Agriculture Committee last year.

HB 15 would prohibit ACCG and any county employee from speaking to any committee of the General Assembly.

This bill limits the increase of assessed value of property to a total of 9% over a three year period where the property was owned by one person. It also limits increases from one year to the next to 3% or the percent change in the rate of economic inflation on individual taxpayers determined by the Revenue Commissioner, whichever is less.

If the property is sold, then it may be assessed greater than the applicable percentage of fair market value. Any substantial improvement or addition may be assessed at fair market value.

This bill authorizes counties, subject to approval of the voters, to designate a portion of their special purpose local option sales tax (SPLOST) to fund a credit against property tax obligations of homesteaded property.

HB 56 prohibits the state revenue commissioner, any agent or employee thereof, or any local tax official from attaching, garnishing, levying on, or seizing any property on the basis of an alleged tax liability without an actual tax execution. A violation of the prohibition constitutes a criminal felony and may also result in civil penalties. The bill also places limitations on the jeopardy assessment powers of the state revenue commissioner.

This bill allows local legislation to further restrict the number of optional dates for special elections and to further limit the dates that certain categories of questions may be posed to the voters. The dates of special elections were substantially narrowed a couple of years ago by general law. Since special elections are a local matter, county commissioners should retain as much flexibility as possible to effectively manage their local affairs.

Under this legislation, private nonprofit organizations/clubs do not need a license, permit or other authorization from the state or local government to sell alcoholic beverages by the drink at their "single" functions. Single functions last no longer than 24 hours and cannot occur more than once a month at the same location.

This bill would exempt all sales tax on energy used in manufacturing and would have a significant impact on local sales tax collections.

This bill exempts the local sales tax on food purchased for off premise consumption.

This bill prohibits public employees from using any computer, fax machine, telephone, e-mail, word processing software, printer or other telecommunications device owned by the government for the purpose of promoting or opposing the passage or veto of legislation. County employees whose duty is to communicate with legislators would be exempt.  While the bill was passed by the House Governmental Affairs Committee on February 28th, the author of the legislation said the he does not intend to push the bill to passage this year.  

HB 136 would reimpose the sales tax holiday for school supplies and clothes for 2011.

This bill requires local governments to monitor and report quarterly the volume of surface water withdrawn from a waterway and how much treated water is returned.  If the local government returns less than 75 percent of the water to the waterway they would not be allowed to provide any new water service connection to any residence, building or other facility.  Lots that have septic tanks and are on public water systems (having more than 70,000 connections, or more than 200 accounts per square mile) would have to be at least three acres, but could not have septic tanks permitted during periods of exceptional drought.  Existing smaller lots on septic tanks in such areas have to be connected to sewer by July 1, 2016, and no new water connections can be made in areas failing to make sewer lines available for connections.     

HB 206 provides "whistle blower" protection to county employees who report fraud, waste or abuse to a supervisor or government agency.  Counties may not retaliate by taking or threatening to take adverse employment action such as discharge, suspension, demotion, negative performance evaluations or refusal to promote because an employee has reported violation of or noncompliance with a law or because an employee has reported fraud, waste or abuse to either a supervisor or to the county.  Similarly, the county may not create a hostile work environment for such an employee by allowing a continuous pattern and practice of negative or unprofessional behavior directed toward an employee who has reported violation of or noncompliance with a law or who has reported fraud, waste or abuse to either a supervisor or to the county.

For two years after an employee makes a complaint, if any adverse action or threats of adverse action are taken by the county or the employee's supervisor, it will be presumed that such action was done in retaliation for the complaint.  

An employee who knowingly and intentionally makes a false or misleading report of a an illegal action, fraud, waste or abuse may be found guilty of  a fine between $1,000 and $10,000 and/or imprisonment up to 1 year.

HB 233 would exempt diesel fuel for locomotives from sales tax.

This legislation prohibits local governments from collecting any fees on the property tax bill.

This bill expands the special interest groups that receive a variance from weight limit laws to include the transport of organic poultry waste and tree bark. It provides special treatment to chicken waste by doubling the current variance allowed for other industries to 10% or 8,000 extra pounds (4 tons).  Almost every year the General Assembly passes a new exemption to weight limits, which in turn increases the wear and tear on local roads and the costs of maintaining them for local taxpayers. Please let your legislator know you oppose this bill.

This bill places a moratorium on any increase to the assessed value of all classes of property for tax years 2012, 2013, and 2014. The moratorium does not apply to corrections to manifest, factual errors or omissions in the valuation of a property. It also allows assessed property values to decrease. Any additions or improvements to the property may be valued at fair market value. Additionally if a property is rezoned, subdivided or combined with another property at the request of the owner, the property may be valued at fair market value. Counties will not be subject to the 1/4 mill penalty or $5.00 per parcel penalty for digest deficiencies.

This bill imposes sales tax on the retail purchase or retail sale of a new manufactured home on 60% of the manufacturer's invoice. It does not allow sales tax on the retail sale of pre-owned manufactured homes.

This bill was amended in committee to create a new method of annexation that allows any newly created municipality to annex "unincorporated peninsulas" for a period of five years. Cities are permitted to annex "unincorporated peninsulas" defined as being less than 15 square miles in area and more than 75 percent surrounded by city territory, counties other than where the city is located, or both. Although the annexation must be approved by the voters of the area proposed to be annexed, this new method of annexation does not require any sort of plan or report on how the city will extend services to the area proposed to be annexed. Additionally, this new method does not require any notice to the county nor does it allow the county to object even if there are land use, service delivery or infrastructure conflicts.

This bill mandates that cities and counties post all bids for goods and services for $10,000 or more and all bids for public works construction contracts for $100,000 on the Georgia Procurement Registry.  It also mandates that all such bids be posted in the legal organ of the county and in "any other media normally utilized" by the county when advertising bid opportunities.  

HB 782 would require county animal shelters that euthanize animals to maintain a registry of animal rescue groups that will accept animals facing euthanasia. The registry must include the name, mailing address, telephone number, website, e-mail address, emergency contact, the types of animals that the rescue accepts (including type and breed), as well as a statement as to whether the rescue group is willing and able to care for unweaned animals, sick or injured animals or animals with behavior problems.  

The county is required to compile a monthly and yearly summary of the number of animals, by species type that have been impounded, euthanized, died, lost, stolen, returned to their owners, adopted, transferred to other organizations or rescue groups and remain in the custody of the animal shelter.

The county may also request that the rescue group also provide an "informal" monthly report of the number of animals that have been given to the group, the number that have been adopted, the number that have died or been euthanized and the number that remain in the care of the rescue group.  The county is not permitted to ask for any further information as a condition of being placed on the registry.

The county cannot euthanize an animal unless the shelter has given at least two full business days notice (with written documentation) to all rescue groups on the registry that have indicated a willingness to take that type of animal.  Rescue groups have twenty-four hours to respond to the notification and another two full business days to take possession of the animal.  

In the case of unweaned animals without their mothers who cannot receive feedings at the shelter or be placed in foster care, the shelter must provide at least 8 hours notice to rescue groups that have indicated a willingness to receive unweaned animals.

The county may assess a fee, not to exceed its standard adoption fee, for each animal released to a rescue group.

HB 802 allows owners of property located within historic districts to subdivide their property so long as it is consistent with county subdivision regulations even if the subdivision would be contrary to the requirements of the county's historic preservation ordinance.

HB 814 requires local governments to estimate the annual operating costs of each SPLOST project in the resolution calling for the SPOST referendum.  It also changes the SPLOST annual published reporting requirements to include unexpended surplus funds for projects/purposes, their estimated completion date, and actual cost upon completion. Further, the bill adds a new provision allowing for any person or entity to enforce compliance for any provision in the SPLOST statute as well as allowing the Attorney General to seek civil or criminal enforcement. The same version of this bill was introduced in the Senate as SB 332.

This bill prohibits cities and counties from enacting any zoning ordinances that either prohibit or require a permit from any residential property owner to grow food crops, chickens, honey bees or rabbits so long as they are raised for human consumption by members of the household. No limits are set on minimum property size or the number of critters raised.