HB587: HB587 Cartersville, City of; provide for a finance director

This bill amends Cartersville's city charter, originally set in a 1974 state law. Currently the city clerk handles record-keeping and also serves as the city's ex officio treasurer. The bill rewrites the city clerk's duties to remove the treasurer role and creates a new finance director position, appointed the same way as other city department heads, who becomes the ex officio treasurer and keeps the city's financial accounts. The finance director must post a bond of at least $100,000 paid for by the city. The bill also lets the clerk of the Cartersville Municipal Court charge a technology fee, capped at $20, on criminal and quasi-criminal fines. The money must be kept in a separate account and spent only on technology like computer hardware, software, imaging and communications equipment, and body-worn cameras for the court and police department. This fee authority expires July 1, 2030 unless the city renews it in five-year increments by ordinance.

• Creates a new city finance director position in Cartersville, appointed like other department heads, who becomes the city's ex officio treasurer and manages financial accounts.
• Removes the treasurer duties from the city clerk's job description, leaving the clerk responsible for records and council meetings.
• Requires the finance director to post a surety bond of at least $100,000 paid for by the city before starting the job.
• Authorizes the Cartersville Municipal Court clerk to charge a technology fee of up to $20 on criminal and quasi-criminal fines.
• Restricts technology fee revenue to specific uses like computer equipment, imaging and communication tools, and body-worn cameras, and sets the fee to expire July 1, 2030 unless renewed by city ordinance.

Cartersville city government, including the city clerk, the new finance director position, the mayor and city council who make appointments, the Municipal Court clerk and judge, the city's police department, and anyone who pays criminal or quasi-criminal fines in Cartersville's municipal court.

Cartersville residents and anyone cited in its municipal court would see practical changes: city finances would be overseen by a dedicated finance director rather than the city clerk, and court fines would include a new fee funding police and court technology, including body cameras.

• Section 1 revises Section 3.08 of the 1974 charter to redefine the city clerk's duties, removing the ex officio treasurer role.
• Section 2 adds new Section 3.13 creating the finance director position, who becomes ex officio treasurer and must post a $100,000+ bond.
• Section 3 adds new Section 6.08 authorizing a municipal court technology fee up to $20 per fine, restricting its use to specified technology and body-worn cameras.
• Section 3 also requires technology fee funds be kept in a segregated account managed by the chief financial officer and clerk of court, spent only with city manager direction.
• Section 3 sets the technology fee authorization to expire July 1, 2030 unless renewed by city ordinance for additional five-year periods.
• Section 4 repeals conflicting laws.

1. 2025-05-13Effective Date 2025-05-13
2. 2025-05-13Act 149
3. 2025-05-13House Date Signed by Governor (House)
4. 2025-04-07House Sent to Governor (House)
5. 2025-03-21Senate Passed/Adopted (Senate)
6. 2025-03-21Senate Committee Favorably Reported (Senate)
7. 2025-03-11Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
8. 2025-03-10House Passed/Adopted (House)

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

1. PassedHouse voteMarch 10, 2025

   165 yea, 0 nay (8 not voting, 7 absent)

   Local Calendar : House Vote #270

2. PassedSenate voteMarch 21, 2025

   53 yea, 0 nay (2 not voting, 1 absent)

   Local Consent Calendar: Senate Vote #265

• Cartersville city government
• local government finance
• municipal court fees
• city charter amendment
• Bartow County