---
title: HB 1280. Revenue and taxation; election of a county's chief appraiser; provisions
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/hb1280
cite_as: HB 1280, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1280
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1280.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1280/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73122
date: 2026-02-17
status: introduced
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.
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omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 129
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1280.md?full=1
bill_number: HB 1280
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: House
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2026-02-11
last_action: House Second Readers
sponsors:
- Kasey Carpenter
- Jason Ridley
- Steve Tarvin
text_version: Introduced
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB1280/2025
upstream_id: 2114613
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
- property tax assessment
- local government elections
- chief appraiser
- property taxes
- county government
---
# HB 1280. Revenue and taxation; election of a county's chief appraiser; provisions
## Text
House Bill 1280
By: Representatives Carpenter of the 4th, Ridley of the 6th, and Tarvin of the 2nd
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Part 1 of Article 5 of Chapter 5 of Title 48 of the Official Code of Georgia
Annotated, relating to equalization of assessments, so as to provide for the General Assembly
to allow by local Act for the election of a county's chief appraiser; to provide for the election,
commission, removal, term, qualifications, vacancies, oath, duties, and compensation of such
chief appraisers; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other
purposes.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION 1.
Part 1 of Article 5 of Chapter 5 of Title 48 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated,
relating to equalization of assessments, is amended by revising Code Section 48-5-264,
relating to designation and duties of chief appraiser, as follows:
"48-5-264.
(a) Unless an elected chief appraiser is provided for by a local Act adopted pursuant to
Code Section 48-5-264.2, the The board of tax assessors in each county shall designate an
Appraiser IV or, in those counties not having an Appraiser IV, an Appraiser III as the chief
appraiser of the county. The chief appraiser, whether elected or appointed, shall be
responsible for:
(1) The operation and functioning of the county property appraisal staff;
(2) Certifying and signing documents prepared by the staff; and
(3) Implementing procedures deemed necessary for the efficient operation of the staff.
(b) The chief appraiser may appoint an assistant and may delegate his authority in writing
to the assistant.
(c) The chief appraiser may be a member of the county board of tax assessors.
(d) The chief appraiser shall ensure that every parcel in his or her respective county is
appraised at least every three years."
SECTION 2.
Said part is further amended by adding a new Code section to read as follows:
"48-5-264.2.
(a) The General Assembly by local Act may provide for the election of the chief appraiser
of a county. Elected chief appraisers shall be elected, commissioned, and removed in the
same manner as clerks of the superior courts; and elected chief appraisers shall hold their
offices for a term of four years and until his or her successor is elected and qualified. An
elected chief appraiser shall meet the qualifications of an appraiser as provided for in
subsection (a) of Code Section 48-5-263 no later than 60 days following his or her election;
and in the event such qualification is not obtained within the time provided the office shall
be vacated.
(b)(1) No person shall be eligible to offer for election to or to hold the elected office of
chief appraiser unless he or she:
(A) Is a citizen of the United States;
(B) Is a resident of the county in which he or she seeks the elected office of chief
appraiser for at least one year prior to his or her qualifying for the election to such
office and remains a resident of such county during his or her term of office;
(C) Is a registered voter;
(D) Has attained the age of 25 years prior to the date of the general primary in the year
he or she qualifies for election to the office of chief appraiser; and
(E) Has not been convicted of a felony offense or any offense involving moral
turpitude contrary to the laws of this state, any other state, or the United States.
(2) Each person offering his or her candidacy for the elected office of chief appraiser
shall file an affidavit with the officer before whom such person has qualified to seek the
elected office of chief appraiser prior to or at the time for qualifying and such affidavit
shall affirm that he or she meets all of the qualifications required pursuant to paragraph
(1) of this subsection.
(c) Whenever an election fails to fill the elected office of chief appraiser, or in the event
a vacancy occurs is such elected office, the board of assessors of the county shall appoint
a person to serve as the chief appraiser until a successor is duly elected in a special
election, which shall be held on the next available special election date provided for in
subsection (c) of Code Section 21-2-540, to serve out the remainder of the unexpired term.
(d) Before beginning the duties of the elected office of chief appraiser, an elected chief
appraiser shall take the oath required of all civil officers.
(e) Except as otherwise provided for in this Code section, an elected chief appraiser shall
have the same powers, duties, and obligations as a chief appraiser appointed pursuant to
Code Section 48-5-264.
(f) The local Act provided for in subsection (a) of this Code section shall also provide for
the compensation of an elected chief appraiser."
SECTION 3.
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 1280 would let the Georgia General Assembly pass local laws allowing individual counties to switch to an elected chief appraiser instead of one appointed by the county board of tax assessors.
### Plain-language summary
Currently, Georgia law requires each county's board of tax assessors to designate an experienced appraiser as chief appraiser, the official responsible for running the property appraisal staff and certifying appraisal work. This bill does not change that system statewide, but it opens the door for individual counties to do things differently.
The bill amends O.C.G.A. § 48-5-264 so that counties can instead have an elected chief appraiser if the General Assembly passes a specific local Act allowing it. It adds a new Code section, 48-5-264.2, spelling out how that would work: elected chief appraisers would serve four-year terms, be elected and removed like clerks of superior court, meet appraiser qualifications within 60 days of election, and meet citizenship, residency, age, voter registration, and clean criminal record requirements. If no one is elected or a vacancy arises, the county board of assessors appoints a replacement until a special election is held. Any local Act creating an elected position must also set the appraiser's pay.
### What it does
- Allows the General Assembly to pass a local Act letting a specific county elect its chief appraiser instead of having the county tax assessors appoint one.
- Sets a four-year term for elected chief appraisers and requires them to be elected, commissioned, and removed the same way as superior court clerks.
- Requires an elected chief appraiser to meet standard appraiser qualifications (O.C.G.A. § 48-5-263) within 60 days of election or forfeit the office.
- Establishes eligibility rules for candidates, including US citizenship, one year of county residency, voter registration, minimum age of 25, and no felony or moral turpitude convictions.
- Requires the county board of assessors to appoint a temporary chief appraiser if an election fails or a vacancy occurs, until a special election is held.
- Requires any local Act creating an elected chief appraiser position to also set that official's compensation.
### Who it affects
County boards of tax assessors, current and prospective chief appraisers, county property appraisal staff, candidates for local office, and taxpayers whose property assessments depend on the chief appraiser's office in any county that adopts an elected system.
### Why it matters
If a county's local legislators choose to seek a local Act, county residents could vote directly for who oversees property appraisals, a job that affects how homes and businesses are valued for tax purposes, instead of that role being filled through appointment by the tax assessors board.
### Key provisions
- Section 1 revises O.C.G.A. § 48-5-264 so the standard appointment process only applies 'unless an elected chief appraiser is provided for by a local Act,' clarifying that elected and appointed chief appraisers have the same core duties.
- Section 2 adds new Code Section 48-5-264.2, authorizing the General Assembly to enact county-specific local Acts creating an elected chief appraiser position.
- New Code Section 48-5-264.2(a) sets a four-year term and requires elected chief appraisers to qualify as appraisers within 60 days of election or vacate the office.
- New Code Section 48-5-264.2(b) lists candidate eligibility requirements: citizenship, one year of county residency, voter registration, age 25 by the general primary, and no felony or moral turpitude convictions.
- New Code Section 48-5-264.2(c) directs the county board of assessors to appoint an interim chief appraiser if an election fails or a vacancy opens, pending a special election under O.C.G.A. § 21-2-540(c).
- New Code Section 48-5-264.2(f) requires the local Act to set the elected chief appraiser's compensation.
- Section 3 repeals all conflicting laws.
## Status
- Status: Introduced (2026-02-11)
- Last action: House Second Readers (2026-02-17)
- Sponsors: Kasey Carpenter, Jason Ridley, Steve Tarvin
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73122
> The history, votes, and amendments (129 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1280.md?full=1