Georgia CommonsHouse · Passed · 2025-2026 Regular Session
HB 1213: Mableton, City of; Redevelopment Powers Law; provide for a referendum
Last action May 11, 2026 · Effective Date
House Bill 1213 would let the City of Mableton use Georgia's Redevelopment Powers Law, including creating tax allocation districts and issuing tax allocation bonds, but only if voters approve it in a November 2026 referendum.
The summaries below were written by an AI model (claude-sonnet-5) from the text of the bill and are not part of it. Quote the text, not the summary. The stored text is the Enrolled version, the latest the General Assembly's website lists.
In plain language
Under Georgia's constitution and the Redevelopment Powers Law (O.C.G.A. Chapter 44 of Title 36), cities can use special tools like tax allocation districts and bonds to fund redevelopment projects, but only if the General Assembly passes a local law authorizing it. This bill would grant that authorization to the City of Mableton, allowing it to carry out community redevelopment, create tax allocation districts, and issue tax allocation bonds. The authorization would not take effect automatically. The bill requires Mableton's election superintendent to hold a referendum on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November 2026, asking voters to approve or reject the measure. If more than half of voters say yes, the redevelopment powers take effect immediately. If voters reject it or the election is not properly held, the authorization never takes effect and the entire Act is automatically repealed the following January 1.
What the bill does
- Authorizes the City of Mableton to use all powers under Georgia's Redevelopment Powers Law (O.C.G.A. Chapter 44 of Title 36), including creating tax allocation districts and issuing tax allocation bonds.
- Requires a citywide referendum on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November 2026 before the authorization can take effect.
- Sets a ballot question asking voters to approve or reject Mableton's use of redevelopment powers.
- Automatically repeals the entire Act on the following January 1 if voters reject it or if the election is not properly conducted.
- Requires the election superintendent to publish notice of the election in Cobb County's official legal organ before the vote.
Who it affects
Residents and voters of the City of Mableton, who will decide the outcome in the referendum; city officials and the election superintendent, who must run the election; and any developers, property owners, or bondholders who might later participate in redevelopment projects funded through tax allocation districts.
Why it matters
If voters approve it, Mableton could use tax allocation financing, a tool that lets a city redirect future property tax growth in a designated area toward funding redevelopment, potentially spurring development without raising general tax rates. If voters reject it, the city gains no new powers and the law disappears.
Key provisions
- Section 1 authorizes Mableton to exercise all redevelopment powers under the Redevelopment Powers Law and the related constitutional provision, including creating tax allocation districts and issuing tax allocation bonds.
- Section 2 requires a referendum on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November 2026, with notice published in Cobb County's official legal organ, and specifies the exact ballot wording voters will see.
- Section 2 states that if voters approve by more than half the votes cast, the authorization takes effect immediately; if not approved or the election is not properly held, the Act is automatically repealed the following January 1.
- Section 3 sets the effective date, apart from Section 2's referendum, as the date the Governor signs the bill or it becomes law without signature.
- Section 4 repeals any conflicting laws.
From the bill
“If this Act is not so approved or if the election is not conducted as provided in this section, Section 1 of this Act shall not become effective and this Act shall be automatically repealed on the first day of January immediately following such election date.”
Discussed in meetings (5)
The House and Senate meetings that took this bill up, from their machine transcripts. Each account was written by Georgia Commons with AI and is not part of the record; the video is what was said.
House floor session, February 20, 2026 (legislative day 22)
From 0:47:46 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel · Confirmed by the bill's status history (House Committee Favorably Reported)
Summary by Georgia Commons: The clerk read a favorable committee report on HB 1213. The City of Mableton measure was later included in the uncontested local calendar, with no separate presentation or debate. The House passed the calendar as a whole by 162–0.
- Read aloud: House floor session, February 6, 2026 (legislative day 14), 0:41:28
- Read aloud: House floor session, February 9, 2026 (legislative day 15), 0:33:38
- Read aloud: Senate floor session, February 24, 2026 (legislative day 23), 0:18:22
- Read aloud: Senate floor session, March 3, 2026 (legislative day 26), 0:36:30
Status timeline
- Effective Date
- Act 551
- House Date Signed by Governor (House)
- House Sent to Governor (House)
- Senate Passed/Adopted (Senate)
- Senate Committee Favorably Reported (Senate)
- Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
- House Passed/Adopted (House)
Show full history (13 actions)
- House Third Readers (House)
- House Committee Favorably Reported (House)
- House Second Readers (House)
- House First Readers (House)
- House Hopper (House)
Sponsors
- Terry Cummings (D, HD-39)
- Mekyah McQueen (D, HD-61)
- Gabriel Sanchez (D, HD-42)
- Michael Smith (D, HD-41)
- Jordan Ridley (R, HD-22)
- Solomon Adesanya (D, HD-43)
Votes
- House voteFebruary 20, 2026
162 yea, 0 nay (9 not voting, 6 excused)
- Senate voteMarch 3, 2026
45 yea, 0 nay (6 not voting, 4 excused)
Topics
- Mableton
- redevelopment powers
- tax allocation districts
- local referendum
- Cobb County