October 2026

ACCG Membership Approves 2027 Policy Priorities

The ACCG membership approved the association's 2027 Policy Priorities during the Legislative Leadership Conference in Athens-Clarke County. The top three Policy Priorities for 2027 are Allow Counties to Collect Electric Franchise Fees; Floating Local Option Sales Tax (FLOST) and Local Homestead Option Sales Tax (LHOST) Reform; and Next Gen 9-1-1 Implementation.The full list of approved policy priorities 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 Priorities during the 2027 legislative session. 

ACCG Hosts County Leaders at the 2026 Legislative Leadership Conference

More than 300 county officials and staff convened in Athens-Clarke County for the 2026 Legislative Leadership Conference. In addition to participating in Lifelong Learning Academy Courses, attendees had the opportunity to participate in several informative sessions. These included a Policy Issues Update; a session on navigating local economic, infrastructure, and environmental impacts related to data centers; timely updates from study committee members; and more.

Photos from the Legislative Leadership Conference will be available soon.

ACCG Director of Governmental Affairs Todd Edwards with Rep. Victor Anderson, who, along with other members of the House Blue Ribbon Study Committee on Local Government Taxation, Funding, and Budgeting, provided an update on the committee's ongoing work.

ACCG Executive Director Dave Wills and Sen. Josh McLaurin (right), the Democratic Party nominee for Lieutenant Governor, discussed significant county issues during the Lieutenant Governor Candidate Forum.

ACCG Presents at House Blue Ribbon Study Committee on Local Government Taxation, Funding, and Budgeting

The House Blue Ribbon Study Committee on Local Government Taxation, Funding, and Budgeting met on Sept. 23 in Colquitt County. The Committee considered the subject of sales tax and the possible need for changes to existing sales tax law and policy. Members of ACCG’s governmental affairs and legal team joined members of GMA’s legal team to make a joint presentation on local option sales taxes. ACCG’s Nathan Corbitt and Blake Travis covered all Georgia local option sales taxes, while providing special emphasis on Georgia’s newest local option sales taxes: FLOST and LHOST. Later in the program, Nathan presented on the need for certain changes to the FLOST and LHOST law to ensure that 100% of revenues from the taxes go to property tax relief. A recording of the meeting can be viewed here. ACCG presentations begin at approximately 1:21:38 and 3:11:14.

To view ACCG and GMA’s sales tax PowerPoint presentation, click here. 

Click here to view ACCG’s recommendations on FLOST and LHOST reform.

The Committee will meet next on Oct. 21 at 10 a.m. at the Houston County Judicial Complex in Perry to cover property tax reform. Its final meeting is set for October 28 at 9 a.m. in Room 606 of the Coverdell Legislative Office Building. The Committee is expected to cover local government, investment, procurement, fees, assessments, and insurance.    

A live stream of the Committee’s meetings can be viewed on the Georgia House of Representatives Vimeo page. 

GECA Advisory Committee Continues Work on NextGen 9-1-1 Implementation

The Georgia Emergency Communications Authority (GECA) 911 Advisory Committee met in Fulton County on Monday, Sept. 14, for an all-day workshop led by GECA staff.  The Committee reviewed data from other states’ 911 operations and Georgia’s 156 public safety answering points (PSAPs). Members were led through a series of exercises to identify their top priorities and focus for the legislative activities that would come next, should Resolution 1243 pass this November.

The Committee also held a virtual meeting on Thursday, Sept. 22, to review the prioritized items from the previous meeting to ensure all members agreed with the direction, wording, and intent. GECA staff stated that the next steps were to move forward with submitting the items to the Attorney General’s office for a final concurrence on any potential legal challenges or questions.

Click 911 Advisory Committee to view the GECA Advisory Committee’s work, including past and upcoming meetings.

ACCG Establishes a NextGen 911 Resource Page

A well-functioning 911 system is critical to protecting the public and ensuring that Georgia citizens have timely access to emergency services. While Georgia’s current 911 system remains operational, much of its underlying technology dates back to the 1970s and was designed primarily to handle voice calls from traditional landline telephone networks tied to specific physical addresses. The system’s hardware and software are approaching the end of their useful lives and will need to be replaced by a statewide Next Generation 911 system. To learn more about NextGen 911, and where Georgia is with its implementation, visit ACCG’s NextGen 911 Resource Page.   

ACCG Honors Sen. Kim Jackson with 2026 Legislative Service Award

ACCG Associate Director of Governmental Affairs Kaylon Day presented Sen. Kim Jackson, Senate Minority Whip, with a 2026 Legislative Service Award during the Oct.13 DeKalb County Board of Commissioners meeting. Sen. Jackson was recognized for her thoughtful consideration of local government perspectives throughout the 2026 legislative session.

As a member of the Senate Ethics Committee, Sen. Jackson played an important role in deliberations surrounding election legislation, including SB 568 and HB 960, both of which carried significant implications for county election administration and costs. Throughout the legislative process, she was consistently open to understanding how proposed policies would affect county governments and the communities they serve. ACCG appreciates Sen. Jackson's collaborative approach to policymaking and her commitment to maintaining effective county election administrations.

A full write-up of this year's award recipients and the legislation in which they were involved can be found here.

ACCG and GMA Provide Legislative Update at GGFOA Annual Conference

On Tuesday, Oct. 13, ACCG and GMA staff provided a joint legislative update to the Georgia Government Finance Officers Association (GGFOA) during their annual conference in Chatham County. During the legislative update, ACCG's Nathan Corbitt and GMA’s Ryan Bowersox reviewed how recent legislative changes will impact financial accounting, budgeting, and reporting in Georgia.

The presentation included discussion of SB 33, the Homeownership Opportunity and Market Equalization (HOME) Act; SB 566 (Revising the Notice of Assessment; HB 244 (Regarding Audits); and HB 445 (Revising Property Tax Appeals). They also emphasized the importance of GGFOA members reaching out directly to their elected officials with their concerns regarding revenue caps and levy limits.

ACCG Testifies on AI in Senate Committee

ACCG Governmental Affairs Associate Keenan Rogers recently testified on artificial intelligence (AI) before the Senate Committee on Urban Affairs. Chaired by Sen. Donzella James, the Committee on Urban Affairs is responsible for legislation related to transportation, public safety, healthcare, recreation, infrastructure, and economic development that uniquely impact the urban areas of metropolitan Atlanta.

ACCG Attends the Fulton County Impact Tour

ACCG's Keenan Rogers joined a group of attendees for an impact tour hosted by the Superior Court and the Clerk of Courts of Fulton County. The tour offered an inside look at the facilities and a glimpse of day-to-day operations. Attendees gained insight into various departments and their roles under the clerk's office. They viewed land grant documents dating back to the 1830s in Campbell County and experienced the high volume of cases in Fulton County. They also learned about the jury duty process and had the opportunity to meet two Superior Court judges.

ACCG Governmental Affairs Associate Keenan Rogers and Sen. RaShaun Kemp intently listening during the tour of the Fulton County Judicial Building.

ACCG's Keenan Rogers with Rep. Esther Panitch (third from right) and Fulton County Commissioner Bridget Thorne (far right), along with other county officials and attendees.

State Election Board New Voter Check-In Rule in Effect

A recently updated State Election Board (SEB) rule adds a step to the check-in procedure at polling locations. Under the revised SEB Rule 183-1-12-.11(2)(a), a poll worker must record the voter's name on the precinct's "numbered list of voters". During check-in, voters present a government-issued photo ID to a poll worker as part of the standard process. The poll worker will verify the voter's identity and information, approve a voter certificate, and record the voter's name in ink on the numbered list. The paper numbered list provides an additional election record of voters who received a ballot. It is maintained alongside the electronic voter check-in record as part of the official election records. ACCG encourages commissioners to engage with their county election officials as they navigate this procedural change, along with other ongoing revisions to Georgia's election code, in anticipation of large-scale election-related administrative changes expected in the 2027 legislative session.

Update on SB 285 – Counties Must Remit 1.5% of their Insurance Premium Tax to Peace Officer Retirement Fund

On May 6, Governor Kemp signed SB 285 into law, which became effective on July 1, 2026. Among other provisions, SB 285 directs each county and city to remit 1.5% of their insurance premium tax (IBT) to the Peace Officers’ Annuity and Benefit (POAB) Fund on or before Oct. 30 of each year. Rather than having every city and county write a check to POAB each year, ACCG and GMA worked with the Georgia Insurance Commissioner so that this office will withhold 1.5% of your IBT on the front end and pay it directly to POAB to streamline the process. To learn more, view this bulletin from the Office of Commissioner of Insurance and Safety Fire.    

GEFA 2027 Water Financing Call for Projects Now Open

The Georgia Environmental Finance Authority's (GEFA) 2027 Water Financing Call for Projects is now open for the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF), the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF), and the Georgia Fund.

To be eligible for funding, pre-applications must be submitted by 5 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 29, 2027. Applicants must complete the pre-application in its entirety, including all supplemental attachments. No more than one pre-application should be submitted for the same project. 

Click here for more information on each funding source. To submit a pre-application, click here.

Register to Attend the 2026 Georgia Funders' Forum Workshop

The 2026 Georgia Funders’ Forum One-Day Workshop, funded by the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority (GEFA) and facilitated by IB Environmental, will take place on Thursday, Oct. 29, 2026, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Macon-Bibb County. The event will connect local government staff/water professionals with managers of state and federal financing programs to learn about traditional funding sources and explore newer funding opportunities for water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure. The workshop is also pending approval for 6 CEUs in Management Safety (MS)

Registration is required to attend. Click here for more details.

Pre-Application Deadline for Georgia DNR Outdoor Stewardship Grant Approaching

The deadline to pre-apply for the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Georgia Outdoor Stewardship Program (GOSP) grant is this Friday, Oct. 16. The GOSP grant was established to provide stewardship to state parks; state lands and wildlife management areas; to support local parks and trails; and to protect critical conservation lands.

For more information on the GOSP grant, click here. Questions should be directed to DNR Program Coordinator Rayne Gaston at rayne.gaston1@dnr.ga.gov or 404-290-7958.

CISA Cybersecurity Resources



As part of Cybersecurity Awareness Month, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has provided resources to help organizations minimize the risks of cyberattacks by following the 3Rs of Cybersecurity: Reduce, Replace, and Recover. Learn more about the 3Rs and how your county can implement safer practices while promoting the importance of cybersecurity awareness.

Visit the CISA website for more information.

Register for NACo's 2027 Legislative Conference

Registration is now open for the 2027 NACo Legislative Conference. The conference will take place February 20-23 in Washington, D.C. Attendees have the opportunity to engage in policy and educational sessions, interact with federal officials, and participate in congressional briefings and meetings.

Click here for more information.