Columbus, Georgia

Highlights for Columbus Consolidated Government



Oppose:



HB 29 ? (Ron Stephens) This bill will require the Regional Development Center

to obtain signatures of the region legislative delegation before any state

funds will be made available.

CCG Comment: If passed in this form, CCG would be forced out of business

because of their reliance on the growth of the digest.

House Appropriations; House Second Readers 01-15-03

GMA not taking a position.



HB 102 ? (Ben Bridges) This legislation would require that any fines assessed

against offenders convicted of speeding on interstate highways to be paid into

the state treasury even if the case was made by a local law enforcement officer.

House Public Safety; Tabled at a Committee meeting on 02-10-03

GMA also opposes.



HB 131 ? (Bob Holmes) This bill enacts "The Georgia Neighborhood Protection

Act," and provides for a cause of action for an owner of property adversely

impacted by the pollution, impairment, or destruction of natural resources due

to the use of an adjacent property.

House Judiciary; House Second Readers 01-28-03

GMA does not have this high on their radar.



HB 141 ? (Ron Stephens) This bill creates a sales tax exemption for sales of

chemicals, chemical compounds, and chemical substances certified by the

Department of Natural Resources and used for pollution treatment and control.

House Ways & Means; House Second Readers 01-29-03

GMA generally opposed to the erosion of the sales tax base.



HB 244 ? (Sharon Beasley-Teague) This bill would clarify that the prohibition

on cities and counties from requiring timber harvesting permits does not

preclude enforcement of tree and landscape or streamside buffer ordinances

which do not require a permit, plan or security. Also, the limitations on

regulatory authority of cities and counties on timber harvesting operations

shall apply only to those forestry land management practices or agricultural

operations which qualify as exempt from erosion and sedimentation permits, are

not incidental to development and are on tracts which are zoned for

silvicultural or agricultural purposes.

House Agriculture and Consumer Affairs; House Second Readers 02-04-03

A bill passed last session on timber harvesting, which CCG also opposed.

Tom Gehl, with GMA, is working with the sponsor and other interested parties to

work out the problems from last year?s bill.



HB 265 ? (Tom Buck) This bill changes the compensation of judge, clerk, and

marshal of the municipal court of Muscogee County. The judges? salary shall be

70% of the judges? salary of the State Court, and the clerk and marshal

salaries shall be 70% of the sheriff?s salary.

House State Planning and Community Affairs (local legislation), House Passed

02-11-03; Senate State and Local Government Operations; Senate Read & Referred

02-12-03



SB 39 ? (Robert Lamutt) This bill provides that counties and municipalities

that require building permits for construction or renovation of buildings and

structures or for the installation, replacement, or improvement of plumbing,

electrical, HVAC, gas, cable, or other systems in a building or structure shall

permit applicants to apply for such permits through certain electronic media

and shall provide for certain alternative means of paying any fees associated

with the issuance of such permits.

Senate Science and Technology; Senate Read & Referred 01-29-03

GMA also opposes.



SB 41 ? (Steve Thompson) This bill would increase the amount of the state-wide

homestead exemption from all ad valorem taxation for state, county, and school

purposes from $2,000.00 to $20,000.00, and provide for a referendum.

Senate Finance; Senate Read & Referred 01-29-03

GMA is okay with a permanent homestead exemption funded by the state, if the

state can find the money.



Support:



HB 92 ? (Tom Buck) This bill permits consolidated governments to increase the

tax rate of the Local Option Sales Tax from 1 percent to 2 percent, subject to

local referendum. The additional 1 percent will not be subject to the current 2

percent limitation on local sales and use taxes.

House Ways & Means; House Second Readers/Engrossed 01-17-03

**Also, HB 207, 249, and 287 are all basically the same. However, HB 207 is

confined to Columbus/ Muscogee County. GMA is supportive. **HB 287 passed out

of House Ways & Means 02-13-03



SB 35 ? (Eric Johnson) This bill repeals the provisions of law requiring the

adoption of a local government service delivery strategy agreement by

municipalities and counties, and reenacts provisions of law relating to

coordinated and comprehensive planning as such provisions existed prior to May

1, 1997.

Senate State and Local Government Operations; Senate Read & Referred 01-29-03

GMA does not think this applies to CCG.



Track:



HB 7 ? (Bobby Franklin) This bill would eliminate all state income tax

withholding requirements with respect to taxpayers, employees, and employers,

and eliminate all estimated tax requirements.

House Ways & Means; House Second Readers 01-16-03



HB 143 ? (Burke Day) This legislation changes certain provisions regarding

payments to counties operating correctional institutions to which state

prisoners are assigned, by stating, ?In the event the department maintains a

vacancy rate of 5 percent or more in state correctional facilities, then the

equivalent amount of inmate assignments attributable to the amount of such

vacancy rate which exceeds 3 percent shall be allocated pro rata to each county

housing state inmates. The department shall pay to each such county the actual

per day cost of each such state inmate assigned to a county correctional

institution.?

House State Institutions and Property; House Second Readers 01-29-03



HB 240 ? (John Lunsford) This bill relates to superior, state, magistrate, and

municipal courts, and authorizes the imposition and collection of a technology

and indigent defense fee for the filing of certain cases and the imposition of

certain fines, not to exceed eight dollars in fees and/or eight dollars for

fines.

House Judiciary; House Second Readers 02-04-03



HB 297 ? (John Lunsford) This legislation creates a new 1 percent county sales

and use tax. Proceeds of the tax would be divided in the following manner: 49

percent of the collections would be used to fund capital outlay projects, 50

percent of the collections would be used to fund general county services, and 1

percent of the collections would be paid to the state as an administration fee.

The tax would be subject to local referendum.

House Ways & Means; House Second Readers 02-11-03

GMA opposes because it is for counties and not for municipal services.



HB 298 ? (Kathy Ashe) House Bill 298 extends job tax credits to all businesses

located in "less developed" municipal areas comprised of ten or more contiguous

census tracts.

House Ways & Means; House Second Readers 02-11-03



HB 302 ? (John Noel) This bill provides that local authorities may establish

standards regulating sound from a motor vehicle, and that local governments may

establish noise control standards prohibiting sound from a radio, tape player,

or other sound-making device that is plainly audible from a distance less than

100 feet from the motor vehicle.

House Motor Vehicles; House Second Readers 02-11-03



HB 309 ? (Ralph Twiggs) This bill authorizes the creation and activation of a

joint development authority between a county of this state and a contiguous

county of an adjoining state.

House State Planning and Community Affairs; House Second Readers 02-11-03

GMA has no position.



HB 325 ? (Ben Harbin) This bill authorizes the Commissioner of Industry, Trade,

and Tourism to designate certain counties as eligible for tax credits for

business enterprises locating there under certain circumstances, to give

incentives for businesses to locate in Georgia instead of border counties.

House Ways & Means; House Second Readers 02-12-03

GMA has no position.



HB 336 ? (Kathy Ashe) This bill enacts the ?School Restroom Standards Act,? and

provides that each local board of education shall maintain toilet facilities in

public school buildings which meet certain prescribed standards for sanitation,

that each local board of education shall provide toilet facilities in

accordance with certain design requirements in public school buildings which

are constructed or renovated after July 1, 2004, and that public school

restrooms meet any applicable requirements of county boards of health.

House Education; House Second Readers 02-12-03



**HB 351 ? (Ben Harbin) This bill provides for a tax deduction equal to the

amount of subscriptions paid to a fire department, other than a fire department

funded and operated by a political subdivision, for fire protection services.

House Ways & Means; House Second Readers 02-13-03



**HB 354 ? (Ben Harbin) This bill relates to revenue and taxation, so as to

provide for current applicability of Chapter 16, the "Tax Amnesty Program Act,"

and Chapter 16A, the "Property Tax Amnesty Program Act," by providing for new

amnesty periods, new waiver periods, new duration and applicability periods,

and to change certain provisions regarding collection costs.

House Ways & Means; House Second Readers 02-13-03



**HB 358 ? (Ben Harbin) This legislation relates to exemptions from state sales

and use taxes, so as to provide an exemption for certain sales to volunteer

fire departments.

House Ways & Means; House Second Readers 02-13-03



**HB 359 ? (Kathy Ashe) This bill relates to rewards for the detection or

apprehension of perpetrators of felonies, so as to remove certain limitations

with respect to the offering of such rewards by the governing authority of a

county or municipality.

House Special Judiciary; House Second Readers 02-13-03



HR 7 ? (Bill Hembree) This legislation proposes an amendment to the

Constitution so as to authorize the General Assembly to provide by general or

local law for limitations upon the rate of increase of the ad valorem tax

millage rate and value of property for certain purposes.

CCG Comment: CCG is already paying .25 per cap.

House Ways & Means; House Second Readers 01-15-03

GMA prefers no limitations on property taxes.



HR 143 ? (Ben Harbin) This resolution urges Congress to amend the Internal

Revenue Code to provide for a federal income tax deduction for subscriptions

paid to fire departments, other than those funded and operated by a political

subdivision, for fire protection services.

House Ways & Means; House Second Readers 02-12-03



**HR 171 ? (Brian Joyce) This resolution proposes an amendment to the

Constitution so as to provide that no county or municipal corporation shall

increase the ad valorem tax millage rate unless such increase has been approved

by a majority of the citizens of such political subdivision voting on the

question.

House Ways & Means; House Second Readers 02-13-03



SB 42 ? (Tom Price) This bill sets minimum distance requirements for municipal

corporate boundaries. This is one of the Sandy Springs bills.

Senate State and Local Government Operations; Senate Read & Referred 01-29-03



SB 58 ? (Casey Cagle) This bill changes certain definitions with regard to ad

valorem taxation. This bill is one of a string that Sen. Cagle introduced that

appear to be subject matter place holders, not intended to change policy (like

Chairman Buck introduced in the House).

Senate Finance; Senate Read & Referred 01-30-03



SB 86 ? (Ralph Hudgens) This bill revises procedures relative to the creation

of the transfer of development rights within or between political subdivisions

by removing a second layer of government oversight.

Senate Judiciary; Senate Read & Referred 02-03-03

GMA has no official stance, but appears to be uneasy about the removal of that

second layer of government oversight.



SB 114 ? (Bill Hamrick) This legislation relates to retirement benefits for

certain law enforcement personnel under the Employees? Retirement System of

Georgia, so as to increase the retirement benefit for certain law enforcement

officers, reduce the retirement age for such members, provide for creditable

service for certain prior service, provide for application and payment of

contributions and for an additional employee membership contribution, and to

provide for a maximum retirement benefit.

Senate Retirement; Senate Read & Referred 02-11-03



**SB 127 ? (Casey Cagle) This bill relates to the allocation of funds for

public roads, so as to change the provisions regarding the balancing of federal

and state funds, changing the total expenditures from the State Public

Transportation Fund to 70 percent from 85 percent, and allows funds for the

interstate highway system.

Senate Transportation; Senate Read & Referred 02-12-03



**SB 129 ? (Seth Harp) This legislation relates to functions of county boards

of health, so as to change the definition of the term "soil classifier," to

change the provisions relating to who may conduct investigations of the

suitability of sites within the state for on-site sewage management systems,

and to require certain standards and qualifications.

Senate Natural Resources and Environment; Senate Read & Referred 02-12-03



**SB 133 ? (Tom Price) This is the civil justice reform bill, which you should

have received a summary of on 02-13-03.

Senate Judiciary; Senate Read & Referred 02-12-03