Georgia CommonsHB 1525: Auburn, City of; revise and readopt charter in its entirety
Last action May 12, 2026 · Effective Date 2026-05-12
House Bill 1525 would replace the City of Auburn's charter with a full rewrite, resetting the rules for its mayor and council, city manager, municipal court, elections, and finances.
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 LegiScan holds.
In plain language
Auburn's current city charter dates back to 1949 and has been amended many times since. Rather than making another piecemeal edit, this bill strikes almost the entire charter (Sections 1.10 through 7.13) and replaces it with a full, reorganized version. The new charter restates the city's powers, sets up a mayor and four councilmember government, creates staggered four-year terms starting with elections in 2027 and 2029, and limits the mayor and councilmembers to three consecutive terms. The rewrite also spells out the powers and duties of the city manager, city clerk, police chief, and other department heads, updates procedures for the municipal court and appeals to superior court, and lays out detailed rules for property taxes, business taxes, franchises, budgeting, bonding, and purchasing. It keeps prior ordinances and pending legal matters in effect and repeals any conflicting laws once it takes effect.
What the bill does
- Replaces nearly all of Auburn's charter with a reorganized version covering incorporation, council structure, administration, courts, elections, and finances.
- Sets council terms to four years with staggered elections, mayor and posts 1 and 3 in 2027 and posts 2 and 4 in 2029, and limits officials to three consecutive terms starting with the term beginning January 1, 2026.
- Requires a referendum with a two-thirds majority before the city can change its minimum police staffing requirement of two full-time officers per shift.
- Creates a formal removal process for the mayor or councilmembers involving an investigative hearing before the municipal court judge, with appeal rights to Barrow County Superior Court.
- Defines the city manager as an at-will employee serving at the council's pleasure, responsible for hiring, firing, and daily administration of city departments.
- Establishes detailed budget, tax collection, bonding, and purchasing procedures the council must follow each fiscal year.
Who it affects
Auburn residents and voters, the mayor and city council, the city manager and department heads such as the police chief and public works director, municipal court judges and litigants, businesses that pay city occupation taxes or hold franchises, and anyone doing business with or receiving services from the city.
Why it matters
The rewritten charter changes how long officials can serve, how they can be removed from office, how the city budgets and taxes, and how departments like the police and courts operate, shaping day-to-day governance and accountability in Auburn for residents and officials alike.
Key provisions
- Section 1.12(c) requires a referendum with two-thirds voter approval before the city can weaken its guaranteed minimum police staffing of two officers per shift.
- Section 2.29 gives the mayor veto power over ordinances, which the council can override with at least three council votes.
- Section 5.11 sets staggered four-year council terms, with mayor and posts 1 and 3 elected in 2027 and posts 2 and 4 elected in 2029.
- Section 5.15 creates a detailed removal process for elected officials, including a hearing before the municipal court judge and appeal rights to Barrow County Superior Court.
- Section 5.16 limits the mayor and councilmembers to three consecutive terms starting with the term beginning January 1, 2026.
- Section 6.28 requires an annual independent audit of city finances by a certified public accountant.
- Section 6.24 requires the city manager to submit a proposed budget to the council at least 60 days before each fiscal year begins.
- Section 2 repeals all laws in conflict with the new charter.
From the bill
“The city must establish and maintain a police department with a minimum force of two full-time officers per shift, twenty-four hours a day and a chief of police to coordinate and direct the operation of this department.”
“The city manager is employed at-will; shall serve at the pleasure of the city council; and may be removed from office by a majority vote of city council.”
Status timeline
- Effective Date 2026-05-12
- Act 668
- 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
- Chuck Efstration (R, HD-104)
Votes
- House voteMarch 20, 2026
153 yea, 0 nay (14 not voting, 9 absent)
- Senate voteMarch 27, 2026
47 yea, 0 nay (6 not voting, 1 absent)
Topics
- city charters
- local government
- municipal elections
- term limits
- city budgeting