October 2024

ACCG News

ACCG Membership Approves 2025 Policy Agenda and Priorities

The ACCG membership approved the association's 2025 Policy Agenda and Legislative Priorities during the Legislative Leadership Conference in Athens-Clarke County. The top three Legislative Priorities for 2025 are Implementation of Next Generation 911 System, House Bill 581 (2024) Cleanup, and Truck Weight Increase/LMIG. The full list of policy objectives can be found here.

ACCG appreciates all county officials who have participated in this year's policy development process and looks forward to working with all counties to advocate for the Policy Agenda during the 2025 legislative session. We look forward to connecting with you all at ACCG's district meetings to further discuss these important issues impacting Georgia's counties.  

HB 581 Webinar Recording Now Available

On Wednesday, Oct.16, ACCG and GMA co-hosted a live webinar on House Bill (HB) 581. The session highlighted the significant changes to Georgia's property and local sales tax systems that could result from the adoption of HB 581 by voters in the upcoming 2024 general election. A recording of the webinar along with several HB 581 resources can be found here.

Join ACCG at the 2024 Fall District Meetings

Make plans to attend a District Meeting this fall. This year’s meetings will take place Oct. 28-Nov. 22, in various locations throughout the state. ACCG staff and other issue experts will discuss a wide array of topics impacting counties and a review of the approved 2025 ACCG Policy Agenda and Legislative Priorities will take place. Registration is now open and those interested in attending can secure their spot by contacting their county clerk. 

Click here for more information on meeting dates and locations.

Note: The District 11 meeting in Coffee County has been cancelled. County officials in the district are encouraged to attend the District 10 meeting in Mitchell County or the District 12 meeting in Glynn County.

REMINDER: ACCG Press Release Announcing HB 581 Resources

ACCG encourages counties to share this press release announcing HB 581 resources with their local media to help educate their communities prior to the general election. Since HB 581 has generated many questions, ACCG has compiled a host of resources, including a detailed bill summary, a joint PowerPoint presentation with the Georgia Municipal Association (GMA), and a Frequently Asked Questions Document (FAQ) published in conjunction with GMA.  

This legislation is complex and will take some explaining to help constituents understand potential impacts. ACCG worked on this legislation during the 2024 legislative session and will be glad to serve as an educational resource. Our media partners are encouraged to contact us with any questions regarding HB 581 or HR 1022. ACCG will not advocate for or against the passage of the referendum but will be glad to provide factual information. Please contact Dante Handel, Associate Director of Governmental Affairs, with any questions at dhandel@accg.org or 203-906-8762.

ACCG Joins Rockdale Constituents Speak Panel

On September 28, Rep. Rhonda Taylor hosted her Rockdale Constituents Speak event on the topic of House Bill 581. Constituents learned how this legislation would impact their existing Homestead Option Sales Tax (HOST) and property tax bills. Members of the panel included Rep. Taylor, Rep. Viola Davis, Tax Commissioner Tisa Smart-Washington, and ACCG Associate Director of Governmental Affairs Dante Handel.  

Pictured left to right: Rep. Viola Davis, ACCG's Dante Handel, Rep. Rhonda Taylor.

Sen. Chuck Hufstetler Receives 2024 Legislative Service Award

On Tuesday, Sept. 10, at the Floyd County Board of Commissioners meeting, Sen. Chuck Hufstetler was honored with a 2024 ACCG Legislative Service Award for his work protecting county governments and Georgia taxpayers. One of his most notable accomplishments was the passage of House Bill 581, which provides certainty to homeowners on their taxable values, creates a new sales tax to reduce the countywide property tax burden, and improves procedures in the property tax Code. ACCG is grateful to Sen. Hufstetler for his leadership on these issues and for his efforts serving as Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee.  

Pictured left to right: Commissioner Rhonda Wallace, Commissioner Scotty Hancock, Sen. Chuck Hufstetler, Commissioner Larry Maxey, ACCG’s Dante Handel, and Chair Allison Watters.

Register for the C-PACER Webinar

Earlier this year, the General Assembly passed House Bill 206 to establish Commercial Property Assessed Conservation, Energy, and Resiliency (C-PACER) financing in Georgia. C-PACER is a no-cost tool by which local governments can attract and retain businesses, offering low-cost, private capital for commercial property owners to improve the efficiency or resiliency of their new or existing facilities. House Bill 206 was supported by the Georgia Economic Developers Association and numerous industry groups seeking to use this financing tool that is already available in 34 states. 

Please join ACCG and representatives from Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP for a webinar on Wednesday, Oct. 30 at 2:00 p.m. to learn how your county can activate and begin using this tool in your economic development efforts. Click here to register.

ACCG Welcomes Doug Reineke to Governmental Affairs Team 

ACCG is proud to welcome Doug Reineke, who has been contracted to serve on the Governmental Affairs team. Doug will be staffing ACCG’s Public Safety and the Courts and Health and Human Services committees and will assist with other policy issues as appropriate. He brings a wealth of lobbying experience to ACCG, previously serving as Director of State Government Relations at CareSource, Director of Legislative/External Affairs with the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD), and as Chief of Staff for the Georgia Senate Majority Leader. He received his Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree from the University of Georgia in 2005 and was recipient of UGA’s 40 Under 40 award in 2021. A native of DeKalb County, we look forward to working with Doug in ACCG’s continued pursuit of sound public policy for Georgia’s counties.  

ACCG and GMA Engage in Key Federal Discussions in D.C.

In late September, members of ACCG and GMA's legislative teams visited Washington, D.C. for a series of discussions with key federal agencies and leaders, including the White House Administration and the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). They also engaged with congressional representatives, as well as NACo staff, to address important topics such as infrastructure, housing, public safety, and other issues impacting cities and counties across Georgia. 

GMA Director of Governmental Relations Jim Thornton, GMA Research and Federal Relations Manager Claire Chan, U.S. Senator Raphael Warnock, and ACCG Associate Director of Governmental Affairs Martha Revelo. 

ACCG Associate Director of Governmental Affairs Martha Revelo, U.S. Representative Rick Allen, GMA Research and Federal Relations Manager Claire Chan, and GMA Director of Governmental Relations Jim Thornton. 

ACCG Staff Attends CSCA Meeting in Little Rock Arkansas 

Members of ACCG’s Governmental Affairs team, along with Beth Brown and Dave Wills, attended the 2024 Annual Meeting of the Conference of Southern County Associations on September 10-13 in Little Rock, Arkansas. This meeting is a great opportunity for southern state county associations to get together and share ideas and experiences on policy, organizational administration, and other hot topics each year. Among this year’s issues of discussion were the 2024 legislative update, housing challenges, election administration, updates from NACo, and creating organizational efficiencies. 

Click here for the CSCA agenda.



Click here to view southern state county associations’ top 2024 legislative priorities.

Changes to Basic Law Enforcement Certification Take Effect Jan. 1, 2025

The Basic Law Enforcement Training Course is currently set at 408 hours and has not had a major curriculum update in 15 years. Beginning January 1, 2025, the required hours to become POST certified are anticipated to increase from 408 to as many as 810 hours. This change will increase the time it takes a new officer to get POST certified and will likely impact county budgets. ACCG will continue to update counties as more information becomes available.

State News

Opioid Antagonist FAQ Sheet Available

The General Assembly passed Senate Bill 395 during the 2024 legislative session. This law requires counties to provide a supply of opioid antagonists in courthouses and other buildings in which the local governing authority regularly meets. It also requires each government entity to establish and implement an internal training and implementation policy for the administration of opioid antagonists. ACCG has developed an Opioid Antagonist FAQ Sheet to aid counties in complying with this law.  

Reminder: Land & Water Conservation Fund 2024-2025 Funding Cycle Now Open

The Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) grant cycle is now open and accepting pre-applications for fiscal year 2024-2025. The LWCF Program is a federal program authorized by Congress for the purpose of acquiring federal lands and assisting states and local governments with funds to acquire lands and develop and renovate outdoor recreation facilities. LWCF funds are appropriated by Congress to the U.S. Department of the Interior, National Parks Service (NPS), and NPS allocates the funds through state agencies as a grant program to state and local governments. Applications are due by Thursday, Oct. 31.

For more information, click here.

DCA Announces $10 million in CHIP Grants Available Through 2025 

The Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA) is currently accepting applications for the 2025 Community HOME Investment Program (CHIP) grants. This grant cycle is offering $10 million in funding to local governments, nonprofits, and public housing authorities. Interested parties must submit applications using the Emphasys online portal by Friday, Jan. 31, 2025.

More information on CHIP Grants and the application process can be found here.

Federal News

New FCC Regulations on Jail Phones and Video Calling Services

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) recently voted to implement several new regulations on phone and video calling services in prisons and jails, as required by the 2022 Martha Wright-Reed Fair and Just Communications Act. These new rules significantly lower the price caps that prisons, jails, and their telecom providers must abide by, replacing the existing caps set in 2021. The new price caps set by the FCC are as follows: 6¢ per minute for phone calls in prisons and large jails, 7¢ per minute for medium-sized jails, with slightly higher rates for small jails.

As a result of the reduced revenue from inmate communication services, Sheriffs may raise this issue during upcoming budget discussions, potentially requesting additional appropriations from the Board of Commissioners to offset the shortfall. Members should be prepared to address this issue as part of their budget planning process. 

Please click here for more information.

ACCG is YOUR county association. We are here to advance all 159 Georgia county governments. Please feel free to contact a member of the Governmental Affairs Team if they can assist in any way.