---
title: HB 359. Cedartown, City of; Redevelopment Powers Law; provide for a referendum
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/hb359
cite_as: HB 359, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb359
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb359.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb359/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70121
date: 2025-02-25
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.
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omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 928
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb359.md?full=1
bill_number: HB 359
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: House
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2025-02-25
last_action: Effective Date 2025-02-25
sponsors:
  - Trey Kelley
text_version: Enrolled
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB359/2025
upstream_id: 1964619
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
  - Cedartown redevelopment
  - tax allocation districts
  - local referendum
  - Polk County
  - municipal financing
---

# HB 359. Cedartown, City of; Redevelopment Powers Law; provide for a referendum

## Text

House Bill 359 (AS PASSED HOUSE AND SENATE)
By: Representative Kelley of the 16th
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To authorize the City of Cedartown, Georgia, to exercise all redevelopment and other powers
provided for under Article IX, Section II, Paragraph VII(b) of the Georgia Constitution and
Chapter 44 of Title 36 of the O.C.G.A., the "Redevelopment Powers Law," as amended; to
provide for a referendum; to provide for effective dates; to provide for automatic repeal
under certain circumstances; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION 1.
The City of Cedartown, Georgia, shall be and is authorized to exercise all redevelopment and
other powers provided for under Chapter 44 of Title 36 of the O.C.G.A., the "Redevelopment
Powers Law," as amended. The intention of this Act is to authorize the City of Cedartown
to undertake and carry out community redevelopment, to create tax allocation districts, to
issue tax allocation bonds, and to incur other obligations within the meaning of and as fully
permitted under the provisions of Article IX, Section II, Paragraph VII(b) of the Constitution
of the State of Georgia of 1983, as amended, and to authorize the City of Cedartown to
exercise redevelopment powers as fully as the "Redevelopment Powers Law" may now or
hereafter permit and not to limit any redevelopment powers permitted under the
"Redevelopment Powers Law."
SECTION 2.
The election superintendent of the City of Cedartown shall call and conduct an election, as
provided in this section, for the purpose of submitting this Act to the electors of the City of
Cedartown for approval or rejection. The election superintendent shall conduct that election
on the Tuesday next following the third Tuesday in March, 2025, and shall issue the call and
conduct that election as provided by general law. The election superintendent shall cause the
date and purpose of the election to be published once at least 90 days immediately preceding
the date thereof and once a week for two weeks immediately preceding the date thereof in
the official organ of Polk County, Georgia. The ballot shall have written or printed thereon
the words:
"( ) YES Shall the Act be approved which authorizes the City of Cedartown, Georgia,
( ) NO to exercise all redevelopment powers allowed under the 'Redevelopment
Powers Law,' as it may be amended from time to time?"
All persons desiring to vote for approval of the Act shall vote "Yes," and all persons desiring
to vote for rejection of the Act shall vote "No." If more than one-half of the votes cast on
such question are for approval of the Act, then Section 1 of this Act shall become of full
force and effect immediately. If this Act is not so approved or if the election is not
conducted as provided in this section, Section 1 of this Act shall not become effective and
this Act shall be automatically repealed on the first day of January immediately following
such election date. The expense of such election shall be borne by the City of Cedartown.
It shall be the election superintendent's duty to certify the result thereof to the Secretary of
State.
SECTION 3.
Except as otherwise provided in Section 2 of this Act, this Act shall become effective upon
its approval by the Governor or upon its becoming law without such approval.
SECTION 4.
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 359 would let the City of Cedartown use Georgia's Redevelopment Powers Law, including creating tax allocation districts and issuing tax allocation bonds, if city voters approve it in a referendum.

### Plain-language summary

Georgia law lets cities use special redevelopment tools, such as designating tax allocation districts and issuing tax allocation bonds, but only if the General Assembly passes a local law authorizing that specific city to do so under the state's Redevelopment Powers Law (O.C.G.A. Chapter 36-44). This bill grants that authority to the City of Cedartown.
The authorization only takes effect if Cedartown voters approve it in a referendum, originally scheduled for the Tuesday after the third Tuesday in March 2025. If more than half of the votes cast favor the measure, the redevelopment powers become effective immediately. If voters reject it, or the election is not held as required, the authorizing section is automatically repealed the following January 1. The rest of the bill takes effect once the Governor signs it or it becomes law without his signature.

### What it does

- Authorizes the City of Cedartown to use all powers under Georgia's Redevelopment Powers Law (O.C.G.A. Chapter 36-44), including creating tax allocation districts and issuing tax allocation bonds.
- Requires a local referendum where Cedartown voters must approve the authorization by a majority of votes cast before it takes effect.
- Sets rules for publicizing the election, including newspaper notice 90 days before and weekly notices for two weeks before the vote.
- Automatically repeals the authorization on the following January 1 if voters reject it or the election is not properly held.
- Requires the election superintendent to certify the results to the Georgia Secretary of State.

### Who it affects

Cedartown city government and officials, Cedartown voters who decide the referendum, the Polk County election superintendent who runs the vote, and potentially future developers, bondholders, and property owners within any tax allocation districts the city might create.

### Why it matters

If approved by voters, Cedartown could use tax increment financing tools like tax allocation bonds to fund redevelopment projects, a financing option currently unavailable to the city without this specific state authorization. If voters reject it, the city gains no new powers and the law expires.

### Key provisions

- Section 1 grants Cedartown authority to exercise all powers under the Redevelopment Powers Law, including creating tax allocation districts, issuing tax allocation bonds, and incurring related obligations.
- Section 2 requires a referendum held on the Tuesday after the third Tuesday in March 2025, with specific newspaper publication requirements in Polk County's official legal organ.
- Section 2 specifies the exact ballot language voters will see, framed as a yes or no question on approving the redevelopment powers.
- Section 2 states the authorization becomes effective immediately if more than half of votes cast are in favor, but automatically repeals on the following January 1 if rejected or if the election isn't properly conducted.
- Section 3 sets the general effective date as upon the Governor's approval or the bill becoming law without signature, except for the referendum-dependent Section 1.
- Section 4 repeals any conflicting laws.

## Status

- Status: Passed (2025-02-25)
- Last action: Effective Date 2025-02-25 (2025-02-25)
- Sponsors: Trey Kelley
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70121

> The history, votes, and amendments (928 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb359.md?full=1