This bill removes cities' ability to annex unincorporated islands without residents' consent effective January 1, 2013. This provision was enacted in 1992 to encourage cities to incorporate unincorporated islands that existed prior to the prohibition of their creation. The bill failed twice in the Senate.

This bill shortens the duration of in person, no excuse, early voting from 45 days to 21 days, making the early voting period in Georgia consistent for all elections - from city (which is presently 21 days) to county, state and federal. It also brings Georgia closer to the national average of 24 days. To provide an increased opportunity to vote early for those who normally have to work, it mandates that polls must be open the second Saturday prior to an election for early voting. The bill was introduced with bipartisan support. To read more, click here.

HB 158 changes the election of judges back from the November general election to the summer primary election. The author explains this will potentially save counties money by avoiding costly run-offs solely for judicial offices and it reverts the elections back to the dates in place prior to 2005.  

This bill renders the decision of development authority boards as final and not subject to review regarding what qualifies as a project and allows development authorities to finance public-private mass commuting facilities.

This bill authorizes counties and cities (which already allow package sales) to approve the package sale of beer, wine and distilled spirits on Sunday from between 12:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. A county commission must first authorize this via a resolution or ordinance, specifying the effective date. After a four-week notice in the county organ, the proposal would then go to a vote of the public with a simple majority prevailing. Elections can take place any time a special election is allowed under current law (O.C.G.A. §21-2-540) and are to be paid for by the county or city that puts the vote on the ballot.

Under SB 86, counties would have had the option of submitting "basic" plans in order to keep their qualified local government status under DCA's comprehensive planning requirements. If the local government elected, their Regional Commission would have completed the basic plan at no cost to the county or city. If the local government wanted to stick with the current comprehensive planning process, it may have done so. This bill also would have modified the notice requirement for Developments of Regional Impact.

ACCG feels that planning is extremely important and that this bill would have allowed counties, if they chose, to free up local resources to develop and implement plans more individualized to a community's interest and goals rather than having to follow a prescriptive state checklist.  

For ACCG's talking points on SB 86, please click here. 

This bill exempts energy savings performance contracts from the requirements of the local government public works construction law.  Counties will still be required to follow the procedures established in the energy savings performance contract statute, but certain provisions that were not intended to apply to county government have been removed (i.e., requiring the use of the State's prequalified list of providers). Counties will be required to issue a request for proposals to at least two qualified energy service providers, as well as advertise the contract opportunity by posting it at the board of commissioners' office and on the county's website, if one exists. 

Effective July 1, 2011 - Senate Bill 121 authorizes public golf courses (be they state, county or city) to sell wine and distilled spirits upon obtaining a retail consumption license.  Current law only allows for the sale of malt beverages.  Said sale must comply with all other applicable state and local laws/ordinances pertaining to the sale of wine and distilled spirits.  

Rather than file an annual report of a county's collection and expenditure of 9-1-1 surcharges, this bill would allow counties to document the amount of funds collected and spent. Counties would be required to certify in their audit that the funds were spent in compliance with the 9-1-1 law.

This bill exempts energy savings performance contracts from the requirements of the local government public works construction law. It also improves the provisions of the energy savings performance contract law. It removes confusing notice requirements, as well as clarifies provisions that were not intended to apply to county government.

This bill prohibits local governments from charging any fee or tax on pawn transactions on a per-transaction basis.

This bill requires counties and cities to post notices of their meetings on the county website, if they have one, at least 24 hours before the meeting. This requirement is in addition to the requirement that the newspaper be notified of a meeting and the other posting requirements for open meetings.

This bill specifies that covenants created before zoning laws were adopted in a city or county that restrict property to certain uses will continue to be effective until the covenant expires. Current law states that such covenants do not run more more than 20 years in cities or counties that have enacted zoning ordinances. An amendment to narrowly limit the application of this bill has been proposed and accepted on a similar bill in the House (HB 728).

This bill, which applies only to state purchases, stipulates that Georgia vendors are to be granted the same preferences over vendors of another state in the same manner that preference is granted in awarding bids by another state, or a local government of that state, to vendors resident therein over Georgia vendors.