---
title: HB 1339. Columbus, City of; filling vacancies in office of mayor or councilor; revise provisions
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/hb1339
cite_as: HB 1339, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1339
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1339.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1339/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73277
date: 2026-03-20
status: engrossed
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/hb1338.md
next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1340.md
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omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 475
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1339.md?full=1
bill_number: HB 1339
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: House
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2026-03-19
last_action: Senate Read and Referred
sponsors:
  - Carolyn Hugley
  - Debbie Buckner
  - Teddy Reese
text_version: Introduced
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB1339/2025
upstream_id: 2118593
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
  - local government charters
  - Columbus Georgia elections
  - mayoral vacancy
  - special elections
  - city council succession
---

# HB 1339. Columbus, City of; filling vacancies in office of mayor or councilor; revise provisions

## Text

House Bill 1339
By: Representatives Hugley of the 141st, Buckner of the 137th, and Reese of the 140th
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend an Act providing for a new charter for the county-wide government of Columbus,
Georgia, approved April 5, 1993 (Ga. L. 1993, p. 4978), as amended, so as to revise
provisions for filling vacancies in the office of mayor or councilor; to provide for related
matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION 1.
An Act providing for a new charter for the county-wide government of Columbus, Georgia,
approved April 5, 1993 (Ga. L. 1993, p. 4978), as amended, is amended by revising
Section 6-201 as follows:
"Section 6-201.
Special elections.
(a) A vacancy in the office of mayor or councilor occurring for any reason shall be filled
as follows:
(1) If the vacancy occurs more than 90 days before to the date of a general election
preceding the general election at which a successor will be elected to a new full term of
office, then such vacancy shall be filled for the unexpired term of office at a special
election to be held pursuant to O.C.G.A. Code Section 21-2-540;
(2) If the vacancy occurs 90 days or fewer before the date of a general election at which
a successor will be elected to a new full term of office, then the remaining members of
the council shall, by majority vote, select a qualified person to serve for the remainder of
the unexpired term;
(3) Any person elected or appointed to fill a vacancy pursuant to this subsection shall
possess the same qualifications required for election to a full term of office as provided
by law applicable to the office wherein the vacancy occurred; and
(4) The election superintendent of Muscogee County shall issue the call for a special
election to fill a vacancy as required by this subsection. The call for a special election
shall be issued within 30 days after the existence of a vacancy has been established. A
special election to fill vacancies shall be held and conducted in accordance with the
applicable provisions of Chapter 2 of Title 21 of the O.C.G.A., known as the 'Georgia
Election Code.'
(b) Notwithstanding any provision of subsection (a) to the contrary, if a vacancy in the
office of the mayor occurs, the mayor pro tempore shall be acting mayor with all the
powers and duties of that office until a successor is elected and qualified, and if the
vacancy in the office of the mayor occurs 90 days or fewer before the date of a general
election at which a successor will be elected to a new full term of office, the mayor pro
tempore shall succeed to the office of the mayor for the remainder of the term and the
commission seat of such person shall be filled in accordance with this section."
SECTION 2.
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.

A House bill would rewrite how Columbus, Georgia fills vacancies in the mayor's or a councilor's seat, setting a 90 day cutoff before an election for choosing between a special election and a council vote.

### Plain-language summary

Columbus, Georgia operates under a local charter that spells out how to fill a vacancy in the office of mayor or city councilor. This bill rewrites Section 6-201 of that charter to set clearer rules for when a vacancy should be filled by a special election versus a vote of the remaining council members.
Under the revised language, if a vacancy happens more than 90 days before the general election where a successor would normally be chosen, the seat is filled through a special election called by the Muscogee County election superintendent within 30 days. If the vacancy happens 90 days or fewer before that election, the remaining council members pick a replacement by majority vote instead. The bill also keeps a special rule for the mayor's office: the mayor pro tempore becomes acting mayor and, if the vacancy falls within that 90 day window, succeeds to the office outright, with that person's council seat then filled separately.

### What it does

- Rewrites Section 6-201 of the Columbus city charter to set new timing rules for filling vacancies in the mayor's or a councilor's office.
- Requires a special election under the Georgia Election Code (O.C.G.A. Chapter 2 of Title 21) when a vacancy occurs more than 90 days before the next general election.
- Allows the remaining city council members to fill a vacancy by majority vote when it occurs 90 days or fewer before the next general election.
- Requires the Muscogee County election superintendent to call any special election within 30 days of the vacancy being confirmed.
- Makes the mayor pro tempore the acting mayor automatically when the mayor's office is vacant, and lets that person succeed to the full term if the vacancy falls within the 90 day window.

### Who it affects

Columbus, Georgia city officials, including the mayor, city councilors, and the mayor pro tempore, along with the Muscogee County election superintendent, who is responsible for calling special elections, and Columbus voters who would take part in any special election.

### Why it matters

The bill changes who decides who fills an unexpected vacancy on the Columbus city government, either voters through a special election or the sitting council through an internal vote, depending on how close the vacancy occurs to the next general election. It also clarifies the mayor pro tempore's automatic role when the mayor's seat opens up.

### Key provisions

- Section 1 replaces the existing text of Section 6-201 of the Columbus charter (Ga. L. 1993, p. 4978) governing vacancies in the mayor's or councilor's office.
- Subsection (a)(1) requires a special election under O.C.G.A. § 21-2-540 if the vacancy occurs more than 90 days before the relevant general election.
- Subsection (a)(2) lets the remaining council members fill the vacancy by majority vote if it occurs 90 days or fewer before that election.
- Subsection (a)(3) requires anyone chosen to fill a vacancy to meet the same qualifications as someone elected to a full term in that office.
- Subsection (a)(4) requires the Muscogee County election superintendent to call any special election within 30 days of the vacancy being established.
- Subsection (b) makes the mayor pro tempore the acting mayor during a mayoral vacancy and allows that person to succeed to the office if the vacancy falls within the 90 day window, with the resulting council seat filled separately.
- Section 2 repeals any conflicting laws.

## Status

- Status: Engrossed (2026-03-19)
- Last action: Senate Read and Referred (2026-03-20)
- Sponsors: Carolyn Hugley, Debbie Buckner, Teddy Reese
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73277

> The history, votes, and amendments (475 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1339.md?full=1