Capitol Connection E-Newsletter – June 2018
Save the Date: Mental Health Summit
Please join ACCG’s Standing Committee on Mental Health for a Summit on August 1, 2018 at Goodwill’s Anderson Center , 5171 Eisenhower Parkway, Macon, GA 31206 from 10:00 AM until 3:00 PM. Presentations will address the depth and breadth of the mental health crisis in Georgia and provide insight and information on successful initiatives around the country. Supreme Court Justice Michael Boggs will be a guest speaker along with presentations from NACo, Department of Behavioral Health and Development Disabilities, Department of Public Health and others. Click here to register.

For more information contact please contact Nicole Logan ( nlogan@accg.org | 404. 522.5022 ).

Attend the Georgia Environmental Conference (GEC) on August 22-24 in Jekyll Island. The Georgia Environmental Conference is the state’s largest, most comprehensive, and diverse educational opportunity and county officials and staff are invited to attend!  To register click here .
Sign Up For An ACCG Policy Committee
Now is the time to recommit to serving on an ACCG Policy Committee! ACCG has seven standing policy committees and membership is open to all elected and appointed county officials. Policy committee meetings will take place this summer and your participation is needed to shape the policy positions ACCG will advocate for leading up to the next legislative session! 

Click here to view the committee descriptions.


Save the Date: Summer Policy Committee Meetings
Summer policy committee meetings are quickly approaching! These meetings are designed for the association's seven standing policy committees to develop their positions on particular issues for incorporation in the 2019 ACCG Legislative Agenda. Meetings will take place August 1-17 across the state. Attend a meeting to get actively engaged in the ACCG policy development process. Further details such as exact times and locations are forthcoming.

Please contact Nicole Logan ( nlogan@accg.org) if you have any questions. 
List of Bills effective July 1, 2018
Sixty-eight bills go into effect on July 1st. ACCG has compiled a condensed list of all effective dates for ACCG tracked bills and accompanying bill summary links that are of pertinence to county government. The list of effective legislation can be found here. To view the full list of bills click here .

Mandated Civil E-Filing-Letter from the Superior Court Clerks Association of Georgia
The Superior Court Clerks Association of Georgia shared a letter with ACCG regarding SB 407 (electronic filing of all civil cases in state and superior court) which was passed by the General Assembly during the 2018 legislative session.

Please contact ACCG Associate Legislative Director Debra Nesbit at dnesbit@accg.org if you have any questions regarding this information.

D RIVES Training Available
The Georgia Department of Revenue and Department of Driver Services continue to move forward with the creation of an integrated vehicle tag/title and driver records system, known as DRIVES. County tag office employees can sign up here for training at various locations around the state during June and July. Check the DRIVES website for periodic updates on implementation of this new system, which is scheduled to start in May of 2019.

GDOT - Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP)
The Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT), in partnership with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), is providing an opportunity for local governments to pursue non-traditional transportation activities such as pedestrian or bicycle facilities. The call for projects is limited to areas of the state with a population greater than 5,000, but less than 200,000 and areas of the state with a population of less than 5,000 (two separate areas with a defined amount of funding available for each area). Eligible projects include: Pedestrian and Bicycle Facilities, Streetscape Improvements and Safe Routes to School Program.

Applications must be submitted by August 31, 2018 . Click here for more details .

TSPLOST Update:
During the May 2018 primary, six counties held Single County TSPLOST referendums. It passed in Banks, Bryan, Bulloch, Early and Seminole Counties and failed in Dade County. There were two regions who had Regional TSPLOST referendums - it successfully passed in the Southern Georgia region and failed in the Middle Georgia region. There are currently 13 counties who have Single County TSPLOST in place and three regions implementing Regional (TIA) TSPLOST, click here to view the map. If your county is considering Single County TSPLOST reach out to ACCG as a resource (Kathleen Bowen: kbowen@accg.org / 404.522.5022).

REMINDER: Deadline to Submit 2018 GOMI and Wage and Salary Surveys is June 30
The Department of Community Affairs (DCA) administers the  Government Management Indicators (GOMI) Survey  and the  Wage and Salary Survey The deadline to submit each survey is June 30, 2018. The GOMI Survey is a mandatory requirement provided for in O.C.G.A. § 36-81-8. The Wage and Salary Survey is a voluntary survey, however, the information contained within this survey is the most popular research request that ACCG receives from counties each year. As such, it is strongly encouraged that your county participates in this survey. 

In terms of what type of information is collected through these surveys, GOMI collects data on county operations, including financial management practices, service delivery arrangements, public facilities provided, and planning efforts. This information is helpful in identifying trends in county operations. The Wage and Salary Survey collects data on the pay range, number of full-time employees, and the number of hours worked each week for more than 160 different local government jobs. Information from the survey is used to produce printable reports that can be used by counties. Use the links below to access each survey.

If you need assistance in accessing these surveys, please contact DCA at  DCA.Research@dca.ga.gov  for assistance.
NACO Steering Committees Need You!
Interested in serving on a National Association of Counties (NACo) Steering Committee? NACo policy steering committees annually review and make recommendations on federal policy issues and legislation. Your involvement with a NACo steering committee would give Georgia counties a voice in the NACo policy process! Committee members are appointed by state associations and serve one-year terms. The new committees go into effect in August after the  NACo Annual Conference  has concluded.

To join, fill out the nomination form found here  and submit it to kbowen@accg.org . More information is available here .

Register for the NACo Annual Conference & Exposition
The NACo Annual Conference & Exposition is the only event that brings elected and county officials from across the country together in an effort to help improve residents’ lives and the efficiency of county government. On July 13 - 16, join others as they work to shape NACo's federal policy agenda, learn, network and share best practices to common issues. The conference will take place in Davidson County- Nashville, TN.
Questions? Email the
ACCG Legislative team:


Stay tuned for more information on the Summer Policy Committee Meetings!