---
title: HB 1588. Cobb County; salaries of chief deputy sheriff, assistant chief deputy sheriff, and executive assistant to the sheriff shall be determined by the sheriff; provide
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/hb1588
cite_as: HB 1588, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1588
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1588.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1588/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/74278
date: 2026-05-12
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/hb1587.md
next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1589.md
index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md
omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 887
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1588.md?full=1
bill_number: HB 1588
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: House
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2026-05-12
last_action: Effective Date 2026-05-12
sponsors:
  - Terry Cummings
  - David Wilkerson
  - Michael Smith
  - Lisa Campbell
  - Solomon Adesanya
  - Gabriel Sanchez
text_version: Enrolled
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB1588/2025
upstream_id: 2136379
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
  - Cobb County government
  - sheriff's office pay
  - local legislation
  - county salaries
---

# HB 1588. Cobb County; salaries of chief deputy sheriff, assistant chief deputy sheriff, and executive assistant to the sheriff shall be determined by the sheriff; provide

## Text

House Bill 1588 (AS PASSED HOUSE AND SENATE)
By: Representatives Cummings of the 39th, Wilkerson of the 38th, Smith of the 41st, Campbell
of the 35th, Adesanya of the 43rd, and others
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend an Act changing the compensation of the clerk of the superior court, the sheriff,
and the judge of the Probate Court of Cobb County from the fee system to the salary system,
approved February 9, 1949 (Ga. L. 1949, p. 427), as amended, so as to provide that the
salaries of the chief deputy sheriff, the assistant chief deputy sheriff, and the executive
assistant to the sheriff shall be determined by the sheriff of Cobb County; 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 changing the compensation of the clerk of the superior court, the sheriff, and the
judge of the Probate Court of Cobb County from the fee system to the salary system,
approved February 9, 1949 (Ga. L. 1949, p. 427), as amended, is amended by revising
subsections (b) through (d) of Section 5 and adding a new subsection to read as follows:
"(b) The sheriff of Cobb County shall have one chief deputy whose salary shall be
determined by the sheriff, to be paid in equal monthly installments from the funds of Cobb
County; provided, however, that salary increases shall be approved by the sheriff and the
board of commissioners of Cobb County. The chief deputy sheriff shall possess the same
qualifications for office as required for the sheriff. The chief deputy shall serve at the
pleasure of the sheriff. The sheriff, at the time he or she takes office, shall designate and
certify to the judge of the probate court the name of the person who shall be his or her chief
deputy sheriff. In the event the office of sheriff becomes vacant by death, resignation, or
otherwise, the vacancy shall be filled until the next general election by said chief deputy,
who shall in such event enter upon the performance of said duties upon taking the oath of
office prescribed by law for the sheriff of Cobb County. The chief deputy sheriff is
authorized, when directed by the sheriff, to discharge any and all of the duties and powers
of the sheriff. In addition to said chief deputy, said sheriff shall be authorized to name and
appoint such additional deputies as shall be approved from time to time by the governing
authority of Cobb County. The salaries of said additional deputies shall be set by the
governing authority of Cobb County; provided, however, that said salaries shall not be less
than $4,880.00 per annum per each additional deputy approved by said governing authority
of Cobb County. In addition to the chief deputy and other deputies provided for in this
subsection, the sheriff of Cobb County shall be authorized to employ the clerical help
necessary to perform properly the functions and duties of his or her office, provided that
the number of employees and salaries or other compensation to be paid to each shall first
be approved by the governing authority of Cobb County.
(c) In addition to those employees provided for by subsection (b) of this section, there is
created the office of assistant chief deputy for Cobb County. The assistant chief deputy
shall be appointed by the sheriff, shall be under his or her direct supervision and control,
and shall serve at the pleasure of the sheriff. The individual appointed by the sheriff of
Cobb County shall possess, at a minimum, a high school education or its equivalent and
shall either be a graduate of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's National Academy for
Peace Officers or possess ten years of actual experience as a peace officer or be a graduate
of a law school accredited by the Georgia Bar Association or be a graduate of the Southern
Police Institute School of Police Management and Administration or have a master's degree
from an accredited college or university. The salary of the assistant chief deputy shall be
determined by the sheriff, to be paid in equal monthly installments from the funds of Cobb
County; provided, however, that salary increases shall be approved by the sheriff and the
board of commissioners of Cobb County.
(d) In addition to those employees provided for by subsections (b) and (c) of this section,
there is created the position of executive assistant to the sheriff. The executive assistant
shall be appointed by the sheriff, shall be under his or her direct supervision and control,
and shall serve at the pleasure of the sheriff. The sheriff shall establish such qualifications,
education, and experience as he or she deems necessary for the individual appointed to the
position of executive assistant. The salary of the executive assistant shall be determined
by the sheriff, to be paid in equal monthly installments from the funds of Cobb County;
provided, however, that salary increases shall be approved by the sheriff and the board of
commissioners of Cobb County.
(e) In addition to the compensation provided for in this subsection, the chief deputy sheriff,
assistant chief deputy, deputies, and executive assistant to the sheriff shall be entitled to
any cost-of-living increase or merit increase approved by the governing authority of Cobb
County for county employees."
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 local bill for Cobb County lets the sheriff set starting salaries for the chief deputy sheriff, the assistant chief deputy, and the executive assistant to the sheriff, though later raises still need county commission approval.

### Plain-language summary

Under current law, salaries for top staff in the Cobb County sheriff's office are set through a mix of county government approval processes. This bill changes that for three specific positions: the chief deputy sheriff, the assistant chief deputy, and the executive assistant to the sheriff. It amends a 1949 Georgia law that moved Cobb County's clerk of superior court, sheriff, and probate judge from a fee-based pay system to a salary system.
The bill rewrites subsections (b) through (d) of Section 5 of that 1949 Act so the sheriff, rather than the county governing authority, determines the starting salary for these three roles. Salary increases after that still require approval from both the sheriff and the Cobb County board of commissioners. All three positions continue to serve at the pleasure of the sheriff and are paid monthly from county funds. The bill repeals conflicting laws and applies only to Cobb County.

### What it does

- Gives the Cobb County sheriff authority to set the initial salary of the chief deputy sheriff, instead of leaving that entirely to county pay-setting rules.
- Gives the sheriff authority to set the initial salary of the assistant chief deputy, a position created under the 1949 Act with specific education or law enforcement experience requirements.
- Gives the sheriff authority to set the initial salary of the executive assistant to the sheriff, whose qualifications the sheriff himself or herself defines.
- Keeps a check on later pay changes by requiring that any salary increase for these three positions be approved by both the sheriff and the Cobb County board of commissioners.
- Preserves the existing rule that all three positions serve at the pleasure of the sheriff and can receive county-wide cost-of-living or merit raises.

### Who it affects

The bill affects the Cobb County sheriff's office, specifically the chief deputy sheriff, the assistant chief deputy, and the executive assistant to the sheriff, as well as the Cobb County board of commissioners, which retains a role in approving future salary increases for those positions.

### Why it matters

The sheriff gains more direct control over how much these three top aides are initially paid, which could speed up hiring decisions or change pay structure within the office, while the county commission keeps a check on future raises through its approval power.

### Key provisions

- Section 1 amends subsection (b) of the 1949 Cobb County pay Act so the chief deputy sheriff's salary is set by the sheriff, with the county's $4,880 per year minimum for other additional deputies left unchanged.
- Section 1 revises subsection (c) so the assistant chief deputy's salary is determined by the sheriff, keeping the existing education and experience qualifications for that role.
- Section 1 revises subsection (d) so the executive assistant to the sheriff's salary is determined by the sheriff, who also sets that position's qualifications.
- Each revised subsection requires that any subsequent salary increase for these positions be approved by both the sheriff and the Cobb County board of commissioners.
- Section 1 retains subsection (e), which entitles the chief deputy, assistant chief deputy, other deputies, and executive assistant to any cost-of-living or merit increase the county approves for its employees.
- Section 2 repeals any laws that conflict with this Act.

## Status

- Status: Passed (2026-05-12)
- Last action: Effective Date 2026-05-12 (2026-05-12)
- Sponsors: Terry Cummings, David Wilkerson, Michael Smith, Lisa Campbell, Solomon Adesanya, Gabriel Sanchez
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/74278

> The history, votes, and amendments (887 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1588.md?full=1