08 LC 28
4048S/AP
House
Bill 1137 (AS PASSED HOUSE AND SENATE)
By:
Representative Hatfield of the
177th
A
BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
AN ACT
To
amend an Act creating a board of commissioners for Ware County, approved March
15, 1963 (Ga. L. 1963, p. 2237), as amended, particularly by an Act
approved April 25, 2002 (Ga. L. 2002, p. 4404), so as to change
the boundaries of the commissioner districts; to provide for certain definitions
and inclusions; to provide for continuation in office of current members; to
provide for election and terms of office of subsequent members; to provide for
submission for preclearance under Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, as
amended; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for
other purposes.
BE
IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION
1.
An
Act creating a board of commissioners for Ware County, approved March 15, 1963
(Ga. L. 1963, p. 2237), as amended, particularly by an Act approved April
25, 2002 (Ga. L. 2002, p. 4404), is amended by revising Sections
2 and 3 as follows:
"SECTION
2.
(a)
For the purpose of electing members of the board of commissioners, other than
the chairperson, Ware County is divided into four commissioner districts. One
member shall be elected from each such district. The four commission districts
shall be and correspond to those four numbered districts described in and
attached to and made a part of this Act and further identified as Plan Name:
wareccp8 Plan Type: Local User: staff Administrator: Ware Co.
(b)
When used in the attachment, the terms 'Tract' and 'BG' (Block Group) shall mean
and describe the same geographical boundaries as provided in the report of the
Bureau of the Census for the United States decennial census of 2000 for the
State of Georgia. The separate numeric designations in a Tract description
which are underneath a 'BG' heading shall mean and describe individual Blocks
within a Block Group as provided in the report of the Bureau of the Census for
the United States decennial census of 2000 for the State of Georgia. Any part
of Ware County which is not included in any such district described in the
attachment shall be included within that district contiguous to such part which
contains the least population according to the United States decennial census of
2000 for the State of Georgia. Any part of Ware County which is described in
that attachment as being in a particular district shall nevertheless not be
included within such district if such part is not contiguous to such district.
Such noncontiguous part shall instead be included within that district
contiguous to such part which contains the least population according to the
United States decennial census of 2000 for the State of Georgia. Except as
otherwise provided in the description of any commissioner district, whenever the
description of such district refers to a named city, it shall mean the
geographical boundaries of that city as shown on the census map for the United
States decennial census of 2000 for the State of Georgia.
SECTION
3.
(a)
The members of the board of commissioners for Ware County shall be elected as
provided in this subsection. The first members from Commissioner Districts 1
and 3 shall be elected at the general election on the Tuesday next following the
first Monday in November, 2010. Those members of the board elected thereto from
Commissioner Districts 1 and 3 in 2010 shall take office the first day of
January immediately following that election and shall serve for initial terms of
office which expire December 31, 2014, and upon the election and qualification
of their respective successors. The chairperson and the first members from
Commissioner Districts 2 and 4 shall be elected at the general election on the
Tuesday next following the first Monday in November, 2008. The chairperson and
those members of the board elected thereto from Commissioner Districts 2 and 4
in 2008 shall take office the first day of January immediately following that
election and shall serve for initial terms of office which expire December 31,
2012, and upon the election and qualification of their respective successors.
Those and all future successors to members of the board whose terms of office
are to expire shall be elected at the time of the state-wide general election
immediately preceding the expiration of such terms, shall take office the first
day of January immediately following that election, and shall serve for terms of
office of four years each. Members of the board shall serve for the terms of
office specified therefor in this subsection and until their respective
successors are elected and qualified.
(b)
All members of the board who are elected thereto shall be nominated and elected
in accordance with Chapter 2 of Title 21 of the O.C.G.A., the 'Georgia Election
Code.'
(c)
Commissioner Districts 1, 2, 3, and 4, as they exist immediately prior to the
effective date of this Act, shall continue to be designated as Commissioner
Districts 1, 2, 3, and 4, respectively, but as newly described under this Act,
and on and after the effective date of this Act, such members of the board
serving from those former commissioner districts shall be deemed to be serving
from and representing their respective districts as newly described under this
Act."
SECTION
2.
The
Attorney General shall cause this Act to be submitted for preclearance under the
federal Voting Rights Act of 1965, as amended; and such submission shall be made
to the United States Department of Justice or filed with the appropriate court
no later than 30 days after the date on which this Act is approved by the
Governor or otherwise becomes law without such approval.
SECTION
3.
All
laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.