ACCG 2022 Policy Recommendations
ACCG's seven policy committees have finalized their recommended policy objectives for consideration by the ACCG Policy Council. Please review the recommendations in the policy committee recommendations document found below. If you have any recommended amendments for the Policy Council to consider, please fill out the amendment form and submit it to Clint Mueller, ACCG's Legislative Director, at [email protected] by Tuesday, October 19, 2021.
Please click the links below to view the following documents:
Join Us for A Webinar on the 2022 Proposed Policy Agenda
Join the ACCG policy team for a webinar on Wednesday, October 27 at 10:00 a.m. The team will brief Georgia's county officials on the 2022 Proposed ACCG Policy Agenda and recommended legislative priorities for the upcoming session of the General Assembly. Counties will vote to approve the Proposed Agenda on Saturday, November 13 during the business session at the County Reconnect Conference in Savannah/Chatham County.
Click here to register for the webinar.
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ACCG Welcomes New Policy Team Members |
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ACCG is pleased to share that we have added two new members to the ACCG Policy team – Eric Lopez and Gabriel Carter.
Eric Lopez, Revenue and Finance
Eric Lopez has been promoted from an ACCG Research Analyst to an ACCG Legislative Associate. During his tenure as a research analyst, Eric provided in-depth research assistance on multiple county issues, especially in the tax and finance area. Through his work with Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Eric created and updated maps for various ACCG departments and publications that have been used by staff, counties, the private sector, and research institutions. His advanced knowledge of hotel and motel tax issues have proven to be very beneficial to the Legal, Policy, and County Consulting departments in working with counties. Eric holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science & International Affairs form Auburn University and a master’s degree in Public Administration from Kennesaw State University.
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Gabriel Carter, Health & Human Services / Public Safety & the Courts
Gabriel Carter most recently served as Evaluation Associate for Creative Research Solutions, where he performed culturally responsive and equitable evaluations for nonprofit organizations, corporations, and academic institutions. He also served as Chief of Staff for Georgia State Representative Dar’shun Kendrick during the 2018 Georgia Legislative Session. Gabriel holds a bachelor’s degree in English Literature with a minor in Political Science from Oakwood University and a master’s degree in Public Policy from the Georgia Institute of Technology.
Designate Your County Voting Delegate
As ACCG is nearing the end of the policy development process, there is an immediate need for all counties to appoint a voting delegate. Each county may only designate one person for this role, and if no designee is identified, the chairman, sole commissioner, chief executive officer or mayor becomes the county’s voting delegate. Voting delegates will cast the final vote on behalf of the county at the ACCG County Reconnect Conference business session scheduled for Saturday, November 13 at 11:00 a.m. in the Chatham Ballroom. ACCG asks that you complete and return the attached voting delegate form by Tuesday, October 19. You can access the form here.
County Government 101 Presentation to Georgia House Committee
On Tuesday, August 24, ACCG Legislative Director Clint Mueller presented a lesson on County Government 101 to members of the House Governmental Affairs Committee. There are several new members on the committee this year, and they’ll review and vote on many important bills that impact Georgia’s counties.
Click here to access the presentation.
House Study Committee on Annexation Holds Two More Meetings
On Wednesday, August 25, the House Study Committee on Annexation held its second meeting at the Cherokee County Board of Commissioners chambers. Cherokee Chairman Harry Johnston presented House members with some of the challenges his county has faced with annexation, including incompatible land use changes, and suggested improvements to Georgia’s annexation dispute resolution/arbitration process. To view the video of this meeting, click here.
On Thursday, September 16, the House Study Committee held its third committee hearing. ACCG’s Legislative Director Clint Mueller testified on county revenues that are lost following an annexation or new city incorporation. Deputy Legislative Director Todd Edwards spoke on the need to treat annexation and deannexation (as it pertains to the 100% petition method) the same under state law. A video of the meeting can be found here. Clint’s presentation starts at the 1.18.47 mark; and Todd’s presentation starts at the 2.06.05 mark.
Click here to read ACCG’s 2021 recommendations to improve Georgia’s annexation arbitration process.
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Georgia DNR Trail Grants Funding Cycle Now Open
The Georgia Department of Natural Resources (GADNR) recently announced the opening of the pre-application period for the 2021 Recreational Trails grants and the 2021 Georgia Off-highway Vehicle Trails grants. More details on each program can be found here.
Solar Resiliency Technical Assistance Program
Working with the Georgia Emergency Management Agency/Homeland Security (GEMA) as the lead agency for ESF-12 (Energy), GEFA recognizes the need to increase resiliency in critical facilities around Georgia. Through State Energy Program (SEP) funding from the U.S. Department of Energy, GEFA is offering phase three of the Solar Resiliency Technical Assistance Program to incentivize the installation of solar photovoltaic (PV) and backup batteries in communities around Georgia. The application period is open and will close at 5:00 p.m. on Friday, October 1, 2021.
Click here to learn more about available funding and to apply online.
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Stay Up-to-Date on the Latest Cybersecurity Best Practices
The ACCG Federal Policy Committee met on Wednesday, September 15 and cybersecurity was a hot topic. Check out NACo’s recently published “Cyber Security Priorities and Best Practices” and plan on attending a breakout session offered on cybersecurity at the ACCG County Reconnect Conference!
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Questions? Email the
ACCG Legislative team:
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Register for the
2022 Proposed Policy
Agenda Webinar
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Follow us on social media!
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ACCG is YOUR county association. We are here to advance all 159 Georgia county governments. Please feel free to contact a member of the policy team if they can assist in any way.
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