HB 587: Cartersville, City of; provide for a finance director

This bill amends Cartersville's 1974 city charter. Currently the city clerk also serves as the city's ex officio treasurer along with other clerical duties. The bill removes the treasurer duties from the city clerk's job and creates a new finance director position, appointed the same way as other city department heads, who will serve as ex officio treasurer and keep the city's financial records. Both the clerk and the finance director must post a bond of at least $100,000 to protect against misconduct. The bill also lets the Municipal Court of Cartersville add a technology fee, capped at $20, onto criminal and quasi-criminal fines. The money must be kept in a separate account and can only pay for court and police technology such as computers, imaging equipment, and body-worn cameras. This fee authority expires July 1, 2030 unless the city renews it by ordinance for another five years, and it can keep being renewed in five-year blocks.

• Removes the ex officio treasurer duties from the Cartersville city clerk's job description.
• Creates a new finance director position, appointed like other department heads, to serve as ex officio treasurer and manage city finances.
• Requires the finance director to post a surety bond of at least $100,000 before taking office.
• Authorizes the Municipal Court clerk to add a technology fee of up to $20 to criminal and quasi-criminal fines.
• Restricts technology fee money to specific uses like computer equipment, imaging and communications equipment, and body-worn cameras.
• Sets the technology fee authority to expire on July 1, 2030 unless the city council renews it by ordinance for additional five-year periods.

City of Cartersville officials, including the city clerk, the new finance director, and the city council; the Municipal Court of the City of Cartersville and its clerk; the city's police department; and anyone who pays a criminal or quasi-criminal fine in Cartersville's municipal court.

Cartersville residents and defendants in municipal court would see a new technology fee added to fines, funding police and court equipment like body-worn cameras. City government would also split financial oversight into a dedicated finance director role separate from clerical duties.

• Section 1 revises Section 3.08 of the city charter to limit the city clerk's role to recordkeeping, meeting minutes, and certifying records, removing treasurer duties.
• Section 2 adds Section 3.13 creating the finance director position, who becomes ex officio treasurer and must post a $100,000 bond.
• Section 3 adds Section 6.08 authorizing a municipal court technology fee capped at $20 per fine, restricted to technology purchases for the court and police department.
• Section 3 requires technology fee funds be kept in a segregated account managed by the chief financial officer and clerk of court.
• Section 3 sets the technology fee authorization to expire July 1, 2030 unless renewed by city ordinance for successive five-year periods.
• Section 4 repeals conflicting laws.

1. 2025-05-13Effective Date
2. 2025-05-13Act 149
3. 2025-05-13House Date Signed by Governor (House)
4. 2025-04-07House Sent to Governor (House)
5. 2025-03-21Senate Passed/Adopted (Senate)
6. 2025-03-21Senate Committee Favorably Reported (Senate)
7. 2025-03-11Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
8. 2025-03-10House Passed/Adopted (House)

• Matthew Gambill (R, HD-15)Primary sponsor
• Mitchell Scoggins (R, HD-14)

1. PassedHouse voteMarch 10, 2025

   165 yea, 0 nay (8 not voting, 7 excused)

   Local Calendar: House Vote #270

2. PassedSenate voteMarch 21, 2025

   53 yea, 0 nay (2 not voting, 1 excused)

   LOCAL CONSENT CALENDAR: Senate Vote #265

• Cartersville city government
• local government finance
• municipal court fees
• Bartow County
• body-worn cameras