06 LC 35
0262T
Senate
Resolution 1282
By:
Senator Balfour of the 9th
A
RESOLUTION
Creating
the Senate Annexation Study Committee; and for other purposes.
WHEREAS,
the adjustment of municipal boundaries through annexation continues to be a
point of contention between counties and municipalities; and
WHEREAS,
annexation may be appropriate in some instances and inappropriate in other
circumstances but current law does not specify when annexation is or is not
appropriate; and
WHEREAS,
annexation laws were first written in the
1960́s
and
1970́s
prior to the 1976 constitutional amendment that granted counties that same power
to provide services that municipalities provide; and
WHEREAS,
in urban and urbanizing counties, where counties provide urban-type services in
addition to traditional county services, the potential for problems and
conflicts resulting from annexation related to land use, revenue and service
delivery increases significantly; and
WHEREAS,
under current law, municipalities have unilateral power to decide whether or not
to annex property proposed for annexation; and
WHEREAS,
municipalities are not required by law to accommodate any negative impacts from
annexation on counties or unincorporated citizens; and
WHEREAS,
there is a clear need to review current annexation law and consider ways of
addressing negative impacts of annexation on other governmental entities
including school districts and citizens balanced against the benefit of
annexation to municipalities.
NOW,
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE that there is created the Senate
Annexation Study Committee to be composed of 11 members. The Senate Committee
on Assignments shall appoint five members of the Senate as members of the
committee and shall designate one of such members as chairperson. In addition
to legislative members, the study committee shall also include three
representatives from the Association County Commissioners of Georgia and three
representatives from the Georgia Municipal Association all of whom shall be
appointed by the presidents, directors, or commissioners of their respective
organizations. The chairperson shall call all meetings of the
committee.
BE
IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the committee shall undertake a study of the
conditions, needs, issues, and problems mentioned above or related thereto and
recommend any actions or legislation which the committee deems necessary or
appropriate. The committee may conduct such meetings at such places and at such
times as it may deem necessary or convenient to enable it to exercise fully and
effectively its powers, perform its duties, and accomplish the objective and
purpose of this resolution. The legislative members of the committee shall
receive the allowances provided for in Code Section 28-1-8 of the Official Code
of Georgia Annotated. Except as otherwise provided in this resolution, all
funds necessary to carry out the provisions of this resolution shall come from
funds appropriated to the Senate. The expenses and allowances authorized by
this resolution shall not be received by any member of the committee for more
than five days unless additional days are authorized. In the event the
committee makes a report of its findings and recommendations, with suggestions
for proposed legislation, if any, such report shall be made on or before
December 1, 2006. The committee shall stand abolished on December 31, 2006.