HB448: HB448 Gilmer County; appointment of a county surveyor; provide

Gilmer County currently elects its county surveyor, an official who handles land surveying matters for the county. This bill abolishes that elected office and shifts the power to fill it to the Gilmer County governing authority, which will appoint someone to serve one-year terms. The person currently elected as county surveyor gets to finish out their existing term, and no further elections for the office will be held after that. Anyone appointed to the job must meet the qualifications already spelled out in Georgia law (O.C.G.A. § 36-7-2) for county surveyors. The bill would take effect as soon as the Governor signs it, or automatically becomes law without a signature, and it repeals any conflicting laws.

• Abolishes the elected office of county surveyor in Gilmer County, ending future elections for that position.
• Gives the Gilmer County governing authority the power to appoint a county surveyor for one-year terms.
• Lets the currently elected county surveyor finish out the remainder of their elected term before the appointment system takes over.
• Requires any appointed county surveyor to meet the qualifications already set out in Georgia law (O.C.G.A. § 36-7-2).

This affects Gilmer County residents and voters, who will no longer vote for county surveyor; the current elected county surveyor, who keeps their seat until their term ends; and the Gilmer County governing authority, which gains appointment power over the office.

Gilmer County voters will lose the ability to elect their county surveyor, shifting that decision to appointed county officials instead. Future surveyors will serve short, renewable one-year terms set by the county governing authority rather than by popular election.

• Section 1 abolishes the elected county surveyor office in Gilmer County under the authority of O.C.G.A. § 36-7-2.1.
• Section 1 directs the Gilmer County governing authority to appoint a qualified person as county surveyor for one-year terms, with successors also appointed annually.
• Section 1 requires appointees to meet qualifications listed in paragraph (1) of subsection (b) of O.C.G.A. § 36-7-2.
• Section 1 allows the currently serving elected surveyor to finish their current term, after which no further elections for the office will occur.
• Section 2 sets the effective date as the date of the Governor's approval or the date the bill becomes law without approval.
• Section 3 repeals any conflicting laws.

1. 2025-05-13Effective Date 2025-05-13
2. 2025-05-13Act 143
3. 2025-05-13House Date Signed by Governor (House)
4. 2025-04-07House Sent to Governor (House)
5. 2025-03-10Senate Passed/Adopted (Senate)
6. 2025-03-10Senate Committee Favorably Reported (Senate)
7. 2025-02-24Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
8. 2025-02-21House Passed/Adopted (House)

• Johnny Chastain (R, HD-007)Primary sponsor

1. PassedHouse voteFebruary 21, 2025

   170 yea, 0 nay (7 not voting, 3 absent)

   Local Calendar : House Vote #58

2. PassedSenate voteMarch 10, 2025

   43 yea, 1 nay (3 not voting, 9 absent)

   Local Consent Calendar: Senate Vote #221

• Gilmer County government
• county surveyor
• local appointments
• Georgia local legislation