July 2025

Register for the Final Round of County Legislative Forums

The final round of County Legislative Forums takes place next week. Don’t miss this valuable opportunity to engage in an open exchange of ideas with fellow county officials and state legislators on issues of importance to Georgia’s counties. Many of the ideas and suggestions made at these meetings will be further considered at one of ACCG’s seven policy committees and may be included in ACCG’s 2026 Policy Priorities. All county officials and county staff are welcome to attend.

Only three Forums remain. The previous meetings have seen strong participation and meaningful dialogue. Key hot topics discussed so far include:

• 2025 Legislative Highlights – Bills Passed and Still Pending for 2026 
• Elections – Constant Administrative Changes and Costs to Counties   
• Next Generation 911 Implementation, and Changes to 911 Fees 
• Property and Sales Tax Exemptions
• Housing – Investor-Owned and Affordability Issues
• Authorized Creation of Workforce and Residential Infrastructure Districts
• Transportation - Future Road and Bridge Funding 
• School Zone Safety Cameras 

Your input is valuable. Join us for one of the three remaining meetings to contribute ideas and help shape state policy. To register, contact your county clerk or the county staff member who handles ACCG event registrations. For non-county officials or staff members, please register by emailing register@accg.org.

More information can be found here. A list of confirmed legislators for each meeting can be viewed here.

2025 ACCG Policy Committee Meetings - Registration Opening Soon

Registration for the Summer Policy Committee Meetings will open soon. Attend the meeting(s) of your choice to recommend 2026 policy priorities for the Association to focus on during the next legislative session. Committee policy recommendations will be considered by the ACCG Policy Council before heading to the full membership for a vote during the 2025 Legislative Leadership Conference.

Click here for more information.

Save the Date: 2025 Legislative Leadership Conference

Mark your calendar for the 2025 Legislative Leadership Conference (LLC) taking place October 8-10 at The Jekyll Island Convention Center in Glynn County. Attend the LLC to play a key role in shaping ACCG’s advocacy efforts by voting to approve the 2026 Policy Priorities. In addition, LLC offers the chance to enhance your skills through Lifelong Learning Academy courses, dive into timely topics during breakout sessions, and connect with fellow county leaders to share ideas and insights.

Registration will open soon. Regularly monitor the ACCG website and your email as more information such as a draft agenda, the hotel room block, and the voting delegate process is released.

ACCG to Host FLOST Webinar this Friday

Join ACCG for a webinar on the Floating Local Option Sales Tax (FLOST) on Friday, July 11, at 10 a.m. HB 581 (2024) established a new local option sales tax known as a FLOST (Floating Local Option Sales Tax), which is linked to a floating homestead exemption or freeze. There is significant interest across the state in exploring the implementation of a FLOST, with a targeted referendum date set for November 2025. County officials and staff interested in learning more about the FLOST, best practices, and having their questions addressed are encouraged to tune in.

Click here to register.

Register for ACCG's Judges' Salary Webinar to Learn How HB 85 Could Impact County Budgets

Discover how HB 85, Judicial Compensation Reform, could affect county budgets by joining a webinar on Wednesday, July 30, at 10 a.m. This legislation reforms the compensation structure for Superior Court Judges and could impact any other county positions tied to the Superior Court Judges' Salary. County officials are strongly encouraged to attend this webinar to gain information that will help them analyze their situation and determine what actions may be necessary to reduce county costs for judicial salaries and other positions tied to the Superior Court Judge. 

Click here to learn more and to register.

ACCG Salary Guide Notice

ACCG anticipates releasing the 2026 Salary Guide in mid-July. There was no statewide 2026 cost-of-living adjustment, nor were there any major substantive statutory changes to compensation other than addressing the potential impacts of HB 85 (2025). This year is being used as an opportunity to review each part of the Salary Guide and improve its usability. Regularly monitor your emails and the ACCG website for the latest updates.

911 & EMS Survey - Please Urge Relevant Staff to Participate

ACCG and the Georgia Emergency Communications Authority (GECA) are collecting data from counties on 911 operations and the implementation of Next Generation 911. The GECA survey has been sent to 911 operators and contains very detailed information on 911 operations and costs. The ACCG survey only contains two substantive questions regarding the 911 Emergency System Special Revenue Fund.

The survey was sent primarily to finance directors or county managers and administrators. Please encourage the appropriate staff in your county to submit their survey responses by Friday, July 18. This survey is a vital step in the funding and implementation of Next Generation 911.

If you have any questions about the content of the survey, contact Alicia Vaughn at avaughn@accg.org.

ACCG TREES Act Webinar - Recording Now Available

ACCG, in partnership with the Georgia Department of Revenue and the Georgia Forestry Commission, recently hosted a webinar on the TREES Act (HB 223). Authored by Rep. James Burchett, HB 223 incorporates provisions from SB 52, originally authored by Sen. Russ Goodman, which is also referred to as the TREES Act. This legislation allows local governments to waive timber tax collections for Q4 of 2024 and all of 2025 by passing a resolution to forgive the tax.

Click here to watch the webinar recording and access additional HB 223 resources.

ACCG-GMA HB 92 Resources

ACCG and the Georgia Municipal Association (GMA) hosted a House Bill (HB) 92 webinar on changes to HB 581 (2024), the statewide floating homestead exemption statute. The presentation focused on general property tax updates, revisions to HB 581, sales tax updates, and changes to the estimated roll-back rate, which are effective for the 2025 taxable year. In addition to the webinar, the associations partnered to provide several Statewide Homestead Exemption resources for local governments to use.

Click here to access those resources.

Gov. Kemp Announces $26.5 Million for Local Transportation Projects

Gov. Kemp and the State Road and Tollway Authority (SRTA) Board have approved a record $26.5 million in Georgia Transportation Infrastructure Bank (GTIB) loans and grants to support 13 transportation infrastructure projects across Georgia. Made possible by a $46 million budget boost in the AFY 2025 budget, this round also sets new records for the largest combined rural award ($13.3 million) and the highest loan amount ($15.5 million) in the bank’s history. Out of the 13 awarded communities, seven are counties.

 Click here to read more about the communities awarded.  

Funding Available through Rural Workforce Housing Initiative

OneGeorgia Authority is providing financial assistance through the Rural Workforce Housing Initiative. Approximately $34 million is available to assist local communities with housing development to address a shortage of housing stock that impacts the workforce economy.

Click here for more information on the Rural Workforce Housing Initiative.

EPD Funding Available for Local Landfill Remediation

The Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) has funding available through the state’s Hazardous Waste Trust Fund to reimburse local governments for the investigation and cleanup of leaking landfills. Only sites on the state’s Hazardous Site Inventory list are eligible. 

To learn more about your county’s eligibility and application for funding, click here.   

EDA FY2025 Disaster Supplemental Grant Program

The U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) recently launched the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Disaster Supplemental Grant Program, making $1.45 billion available to help communities recover from natural disasters and build long-term economic resilience. Counties affected by major disaster declarations in 2023 or 2024 are eligible to apply for any of the three different grant pathways to rebuild infrastructure, strengthen local economies, and prepare for future disruptions.

For more information on the grant program, click here.

SBA Disaster Relief Grants

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) offers disaster assistance for homeowners, business owners, and non-profit organizations who were impacted by Hurricane Helene. Assistance includes loans for physical damage to homes or businesses, as well as for economic injury. The SBA can help whether you’ve applied for FEMA grants or if you are insured, underinsured, or uninsured.

For more information on SBA Disaster Relief Grants and the application process, click here.

NACo Webinar for Reconciliation Package

On Monday, July 7, the National Association of Counties (NACo) hosted a webinar providing an overview of the recent reconciliation package also known as the “One Big Beautiful Bill” signed into law on Friday, July 4. This legislation covers a wide range of policy areas, including Medicaid reforms, increases to the low-income housing tax credit, funding for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, rural hospital grants, and expedited environmental reviews, among others. Notably, proposals in earlier versions of the bill concerning state and local preemption of artificial intelligence regulation, as well as changes to municipal bonds, were not included in the final version of the legislation.

A recording of the webinar and a copy of the slide deck are available here. Additionally, NACo has prepared a summary of the key takeaways from the legislation, which can be accessed here.