Georgia CommonsHouse · Passed · 2025-2026 Regular Session
HB 226: Cochran, City of; change corporate limits
Last action May 13, 2025 · Effective Date
House Bill 226 expands the City of Cochran's boundaries to include a stretch of State Route 23 (U.S. Highway 87) running north from the city's current limits to Jac Arts Road.
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 the General Assembly's website lists.
In plain language
The City of Cochran operates under a city charter that the Georgia General Assembly approved in 2012. This bill amends that charter to redraw the city's official boundaries, known as corporate limits. Specifically, it adds the right of way of State Route 23, also called U.S. Highway 87, to the city's territory. The added stretch runs from where the city's boundary currently sits northward up to the intersection with Jac Arts Road. The bill states this change applies regardless of any other charter language that might conflict with it. It also repeals any other laws that conflict with this change.
What the bill does
- Amends the City of Cochran's 2012 charter by adding a new subsection to Section 1.11 covering corporate limits.
- Extends the city's boundaries to include the right of way of State Route 23 (U.S. Highway 87) from the current city limits north to Jac Arts Road.
- States that this boundary change applies notwithstanding any other charter provision to the contrary.
- Repeals any other state laws that conflict with this change.
Who it affects
Residents, property owners, and businesses along the newly included stretch of State Route 23 near Cochran, as well as city and county officials responsible for services, zoning, and law enforcement jurisdiction in that area.
Why it matters
Bringing this road segment inside Cochran's city limits could shift which government provides services like policing, utilities, or road maintenance there, and could change which local rules and taxes apply to property along that stretch of highway.
Key provisions
- Section 1 adds subsection (c) to Section 1.11 of the city's charter, defining the newly annexed area as the State Route 23 right of way from the current city limits to Jac Arts Road.
- Section 1 specifies this boundary change overrides any conflicting language elsewhere in the charter.
- Section 2 repeals all laws and parts of laws that conflict with this Act.
From the bill
“the corporate limits of the City of Cochran shall include the following described property: The right of way of State Route 23, also known as U.S. Highway 87, northward from the corporate limits of the city on the effective date of this Act to the intersection of such state route with Jac Arts Road.”
Status timeline
- Effective Date
- Act 198
- 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
- Danny Mathis (R, HD-133)
Votes
- House voteFebruary 21, 2025
170 yea, 0 nay (7 not voting, 3 excused)
- Senate voteFebruary 27, 2025
48 yea, 0 nay (5 not voting, 3 excused)
Topics
- city boundaries
- Cochran Georgia
- municipal charter
- local government