---
title: HB 1213. Mableton, City of; Redevelopment Powers Law; provide for a referendum
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/hb1213
cite_as: HB 1213, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1213
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1213.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1213/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72889
date: 2026-05-11
status: passed
corpus_version: bills-2026-09-13
license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
up: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026.md
previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1212.md
next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1214.md
index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md
omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 886
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1213.md?full=1
bill_number: HB 1213
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: House
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2026-05-11
last_action: Effective Date 2026-05-11
sponsors:
  - Terry Cummings
  - Mekyah McQueen
  - Gabriel Sanchez
  - Michael Smith
  - Jordan Ridley
  - Solomon Adesanya
text_version: Enrolled
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB1213/2025
upstream_id: 2110012
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
  - Mableton
  - redevelopment powers
  - tax allocation districts
  - local referendum
  - Cobb County
---

# HB 1213. Mableton, City of; Redevelopment Powers Law; provide for a referendum

## Text

House Bill 1213 (AS PASSED HOUSE AND SENATE)
By: Representatives Cummings of the 39th, McQueen of the 61st, Sanchez of the 42nd, Smith
of the 41st, Ridley of the 22nd, and others
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To authorize the City of Mableton, Georgia, to exercise all redevelopment and other powers
provided for under Article IX, Section II, Paragraph VII(b) of the Georgia Constitution and
Chapter 44 of Title 36 of the O.C.G.A., the "Redevelopment Powers Law," as amended; to
provide for a referendum; to provide for effective dates; to provide for automatic repeal
under certain circumstances; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION 1.
The City of Mableton, Georgia, shall be and is authorized to exercise all redevelopment and
other powers provided for under Chapter 44 of Title 36 of the O.C.G.A., the "Redevelopment
Powers Law," as amended. The intention of this Act is to authorize the City of Mableton to
undertake and carry out community redevelopment, to create tax allocation districts, to issue
tax allocation bonds, and to incur other obligations within the meaning of and as fully
permitted under the provisions of Article IX, Section II, Paragraph VII(b) of the Constitution
of the State of Georgia of 1983, as amended, and to authorize the City of Mableton to
exercise redevelopment powers as fully as the "Redevelopment Powers Law" may now or
hereafter permit and not to limit any redevelopment powers permitted under the
"Redevelopment Powers Law."
SECTION 2.
The election superintendent of the City of Mableton shall call and conduct an election, as
provided in this section, for the purpose of submitting this Act to the electors of the City of
Mableton for approval or rejection. The election superintendent shall conduct that election
on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November, 2026, and shall issue the call and
conduct that election as provided by general law. The election superintendent shall cause the
date and purpose of the election to be published once at least 90 days immediately preceding
the date thereof and once a week for two weeks immediately preceding the date thereof in
the official organ of Cobb County, Georgia. The ballot shall have written or printed thereon
the words:
"( ) YES Shall the Act be approved which authorizes the City of Mableton, Georgia,
( ) NO to exercise all redevelopment powers allowed under the 'Redevelopment
Powers Law,' as it may be amended from time to time?"
All persons desiring to vote for approval of the Act shall vote "Yes," and all persons desiring
to vote for rejection of the Act shall vote "No." If more than one-half of the votes cast on
such question are for approval of the Act, then Section 1 of this Act shall become of full
force and effect immediately. 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. The expense of such election shall be borne by the City of Mableton. It
shall be the election superintendent's duty to certify the result thereof to the Secretary of
State.
SECTION 3.
Except as otherwise provided in Section 2 of this Act, this Act shall become effective upon
its approval by the Governor or upon its becoming law without such approval.
SECTION 4.
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.

## Summaries written by Georgia Commons

The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the bill. Quote the text, not the summary.

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.

### Plain-language summary

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 it 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.

## Status

- Status: Passed (2026-05-11)
- Last action: Effective Date 2026-05-11 (2026-05-11)
- Sponsors: Terry Cummings, Mekyah McQueen, Gabriel Sanchez, Michael Smith, Jordan Ridley, Solomon Adesanya
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72889

> The history, votes, and amendments (886 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1213.md?full=1