February 3, 2023
Volume 14, Issue 4
House Passes FY 2023 Supplemental Budget
Members of the General Assembly were back hard at work at the state capitol this week. Of note, the House passed the FY 2023 supplemental budget which includes $1 billion in property tax relief. More information can be found in this AJC news article.
Legislators considered numerous proposals while receiving testimonies from issue stakeholders. As it particularly relates to counties, ACCG's Director of Governmental Affairs Clint Mueller and Deputy Director of Governmental Affairs Todd Edwards (both seen in the photo) addressed the Fulton County Legislative Delegation on Thursday, February 2. They shared how the statewide, multifaceted housing issue impacts county governments. ACCG has been working collaboratively with the Georgia Municipal Association and the Legislature to find a resolution for what is emerging as a major topic this session.
Click here to review the list of this week's bills.
Access the Legislative Tracking Database for a compilation of all bills ACCG is following. 
Action Needed
Truck Weight Bill Introduced
Bill to be heard in House Transportation Committee on Thursday, February 9 at 1 p.m.

Legislation permitting the increase of truck weight limits has been introduced. House Bill 189, authored by Rep. Steven Meeks, increases limits from 80,000 to 90,000 lbs. for all five-axle commercial trucks hauling industry products ranging from live poultry to forestry and solid waste. ACCG opposes this legislation and a copy of talking points can be found here.

This legislation is detrimental for county roads and bridges, resulting in a shorter lifecycle for such infrastructure and, ultimately, increasing costs to county taxpayers for repairs and maintenance. Contact the House Transportation Committee members to express your concerns.
Legislation Impacting Public Bid Requirements for Public Works Projects
Bill to be heard in House Governmental Affairs Subcommittee on Tuesday, February 7

House Bill 193, by Rep. Victor Anderson, raises the dollar amount threshold required to bid out public works projects from $100,000 to $250,000. ACCG joins the Georgia Municipal Association and the Associated General Contractors of Georgia in support of this legislation.
 
Please send examples of how this legislation will save your county time and effort by not having to bid out small projects to Associate Governmental Affairs Director Kathleen Bowen at kbowen@accg.org.
More from the Gold Dome
Update on Taxpayer Bill of Rights Legislation

There are currently three measures being considered regarding the Taxpayer Bill of Rights, ultimately aiming to help counties with inflationary increases. Already introduced this session, House Bill 90 exempts local governments with floating homestead exemptions from property tax increase advertisement requirements. This helps 27 counties with floating homestead exemptions.

Other measures under consideration include: 1.) Legislation expected to be introduced next week that would allow local governments to take inflation in the rollback rate formula calculation, which helps counties keep pace with inflation. ACCG supports this 2023 Policy Objective. 2.) There is possibility of a bill being introduced that would allow local governments to set a proposed “not to exceed” millage rate on the assessment notice. If a local government adopts their final millage rate at or below this amount, they will not have to advertise a millage rate. 
Legislation to Expand MOST Introduced

House Bill 146, by Rep. Derrick McCollum, expands the municipal option sales tax (MOST) relating to water and sewer projects and their associated costs to include cities with corporate boundaries extending into three or more counties. As more cities are authorized to collect MOSTs, it will likely become more difficult to pass other, county-wide sales taxes. ACCG is opposed to this legislation.   
Digital Services Tax Bill Dropped This Week

House Bill 170 expands the sales and use tax base by making digital goods and services taxable. This provides parity between online sellers and brick and mortar stores. Modernizing the sales tax code protects an important revenue stream for county governments. ACCG supports this bill.
Counties Face Potential Court Cost Increases

This week Senate Bill 31 was introduced by Sen. Brandon Beach. This bill requires that the State Attorney General’s office receive reimbursement for the cost and expenses occurred when they elect to take on a case that district attorneys fail to prosecute. ACCG finds this bill concerning because counties don’t have the authority to dictate which cases district attorneys prosecute since DAs are independent elected officials. Counties and local taxpayers could essentially be financially penalized for something that they have no ability to control. ACCG is meeting with the author to discuss counties’ concerns with the bill.
Bill to Create Uniform Three-Party Contract for Collection of City Taxes

Senate Bill 56, sponsored by Sen. Chuck Hufstetler, creates a uniform, three-party contract between the county, tax commissioner, and cities for the collection of city taxes, and caps the tax commissioner’s side compensation at 50% of their minimum annual salary. This issue is a 2023 ACCG Policy Objective.
Virtual Legislative Update Replay

Watch the replay of this week's Virtual Legislative Update here. As a reminder, join the ACCG Governmental Affairs team every Friday at 9:00 a.m. during the legislative session. This is a recurring event, so county officials can access the meeting each week through this link.
Proposed Constitutional Amendments
Proposed Constitutional Amendment to Change Assessment of Standing Timber

House Resolution 96 proposes a constitutional amendment to assess standing timber at 40% of its value instead of 100% of its value, as it is currently. Local governments will be appropriated funds starting January 1, 2026, for half of the first 3% of their lost timber harvest revenues, and for all their lost revenues past the first 3%.  
Proposed Constitutional Amendment to Destroy Property Tax Uniformity

House Resolution 98 proposes a constitutional amendment allowing for any ad valorem tax exemption in addition to homestead exemptions. This will destroy uniformity and open the door to exemptions on all types of real or personal property, including rental properties, second homes, commercial properties, aircraft, and various equipment. This pressures counties and legislators to exempt all types of eligible property, eroding the tax base. These exemptions may be created through local legislation with or without a county's consent.
Proposed Constitutional Amendment to Waive Delinquent Taxes Down to Sales Price at Tax Sale

Senate Resolution 82, another 2023 ACCG Policy Objective, proposes a constitutional amendment to grant county and city governments the authority to waive delinquent property taxes down to the sales price at tax sale. ACCG supports this proposed legislation.
LOCATION CHANGE: 2023 Legislative Breakfast will now take place in the Freight Room of the Georgia Railroad Freight Depot.

Due to an extraordinary demand, this year's Legislative Breakfast will now take place in the Freight Room of the Georgia Railroad Freight Depot. The event's new location will allow us to better accommodate our members willing to attend this event, as there is no longer an associated limited capacity. Registration is now open, and we look forward to welcoming as many officials per county wanting to join us on Thursday, March 9 at 7-11 a.m. *Please contact your county clerk to register.

Attendees will receive briefings and updates from key state leaders and the ACCG Governmental Affairs team as pressing issues move through the state’s legislative process. They will also have the opportunity to hear firsthand from decision makers about the impact of proposed legislation and what it means to Georgia’s counties.

Invited speakers for the event include Gov. Brian Kemp, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, and Georgia House Speaker Jon Burns. Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger will provide an overview of emerging election issues during a discussion on hot topics trending at the state level. 


Stay Connected and Engaged!
Weekly Friday Lobbyist Meeting Returns in Person

The Governmental Affairs team will host in-person meetings periodically on several Fridays during the 2023 legislative session. These meetings are for county contract lobbyists, county officials, and county staff who want to strategize and discuss legislation impacting counties in more detail. These in person meetings will occur on February 24, March 10, and March 24 from 10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. in Room 328 of the Coverdell Legislative Office Building. The building address is 18 Capitol Square, Atlanta, Georgia 30334 – right across the street from the Capitol. 

ACCG Administrative and Policy Coordinator Tottianna Davis (tdavis@accg.org) will issue reminders about the meeting, including details such as the location and time. Please email her if you would like to be added to the distribution list to receive details. 
Update Your County's ACCG County Legislative Coordinator (CLC)

Annually, ACCG asks counties to update their county’s designated CLC to ensure the most accurate data is reflected in our records. The CLC’s primary responsibilities are to relay pertinent information about current legislation to county commissioners and county management, to maintain an open line of communication with ACCG to ensure county-specific information is readily available for legislators. ACCG encourages all counties to participate and designate a CLC for the legislative session. 

Click here to see your county’s current CLC. To change or appoint your county’s CLC for 2023, please contact Tottianna Davis at tdavis@accg.org or (404) 522-5022.
Policy Communication Tools

Don't forget about the various communications tools that will help keep you informed and engaged. Click here to read all about them!
ACCG News
News You Can Use - Articles Related to ACCG Policy Issues
Articles covering some of ACCG's major policy issues are found here. Click the hyperlinked title to begin reading.

Georgia Recorder - February 3, 2023

Atlanta Journal-Constitution - February 2, 2023

Associate Press News - February 1, 2023

Axios Atlanta - January 31, 2023

Georgia Public Broadcasting - January 30, 2023
Questions? Email the
ACCG Governmental Affairs team:
ACCG is YOUR county association. We are here to advance all Georgia county governments. Please feel free to contact a member of the Governmental Affairs team if they can assist in any way.