HB236: HB236 Bartow County; appointment of a county surveyor; provide

Bartow County currently elects its county surveyor, an official who handles land surveying matters for the county. This bill eliminates that elected position under authority granted by Georgia law (O.C.G.A. § 36-7-2.1) and shifts to a system where the Bartow County governing authority (the county commission) appoints the surveyor instead. The appointed surveyor would serve a one-year term, with successors also appointed annually. Anyone appointed must meet the qualifications already set out in Georgia law (O.C.G.A. § 36-7-2) for county surveyors. The person currently serving as the elected surveyor would finish out their current elected term, and no further elections for the office would be held after that. The law would take effect as soon as the Governor signs it or it becomes law without his signature.

• Abolishes the elected office of county surveyor in Bartow County under authority granted by O.C.G.A. § 36-7-2.1.
• Gives the Bartow County governing authority the power to appoint a county surveyor instead of holding elections.
• Sets the appointed surveyor's term at one year, with successors also appointed for one-year terms.
• Requires any appointed surveyor to meet the qualifications listed in O.C.G.A. § 36-7-2(b)(1).
• Lets the currently elected surveyor finish out their existing term before the appointment system takes over.

This bill affects Bartow County government, which gains the power to appoint the county surveyor, the person currently holding that elected office, who keeps their seat until their term ends, and any future candidates for county surveyor in Bartow County, who will no longer run in elections.

Bartow County residents will no longer vote for their county surveyor, an official involved in land surveying decisions affecting property boundaries and county records. Instead, the county commission will select and reappoint this official annually, changing how accountable the position is to voters directly.

• Section 1 abolishes the elected office of county surveyor in Bartow County and transfers appointment power to the county's governing authority.
• Section 1 sets appointed terms at one year and requires appointees to meet the qualifications in O.C.G.A. § 36-7-2(b)(1).
• Section 1 allows the currently elected surveyor to serve out their remaining term with no further elections held afterward.
• Section 2 makes the Act effective upon the Governor's approval or upon it becoming law without his signature.
• Section 3 repeals any conflicting laws.

1. 2025-05-13Effective Date 2025-05-13
2. 2025-05-13Act 136
3. 2025-05-13House Date Signed by Governor (House)
4. 2025-04-07House Sent to Governor (House)
5. 2025-02-21Senate Passed/Adopted (Senate)
6. 2025-02-21Senate Committee Favorably Reported (Senate)
7. 2025-02-11Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
8. 2025-02-10House Passed/Adopted (House)

• Mitchell Scoggins (R, HD-014)Primary sponsor
• Matthew Gambill (R, HD-015)

1. PassedHouse voteFebruary 10, 2025

   167 yea, 0 nay (5 not voting, 8 absent)

   Local Calendar : House Vote #19

2. PassedSenate voteFebruary 21, 2025

   46 yea, 0 nay (9 not voting, 1 absent)

   Local Consent Calendar: Senate Vote #78

• Bartow County
• county surveyor
• local government appointments
• elections