--- title: HB 615. Chatham County Recreation Authority; abolish current authority memberships; provide new board membership collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hb615 cite_as: HB 615, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb615 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb615.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb615/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70745 date: 2025-03-25 status: introduced corpus_version: bills-2026-08-28 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/hb614.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb616.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 355 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb615.md?full=1 bill_number: HB 615 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: bill status_date: 2025-02-24 last_action: House Withdrawn, Recommitted sponsors: - Jesse Petrea - Ron Stephens - Carl Gilliard - Bill Hitchens - Edna Jackson text_version: Comm Sub has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB615/2025 upstream_id: 1982027 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - Chatham County government - local authorities - recreation authority - board appointments - Savannah area --- # HB 615. Chatham County Recreation Authority; abolish current authority memberships; provide new board membership ## Text 25 LC 47 9005S The House Committee on Intragovernmental Coordination - Local Legislation offers the following substitute to HB 615: A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT To amend an Act creating the Chatham County Recreation Authority, approved April 5, 19951 (Ga. L. 1995, p. 4281), so as to revise the membership of the authority; to provide for new2 board membership; to provide terms of office; to revise quorum requirements; to provide for3 related matters; to provide an effective date; to repeal confli cting laws; and for other4 purposes.5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:6 SECTION 1.7 An Act creating the Chatham County Recreation Authority, approv ed April 5, 19958 (Ga. L. 1995, p. 4281), is amended in Section 2 by revising sub sections (b) and (h) as9 follows:10 "(b)(1) On July 1, 2025, and until February 28, 2029, the authority shall be governed by11 a board that shall consist of no more than 14 members. As of M arch 1, 2029, the12 authority shall be governed by a board that shall consist of nine members. 13 (2)(A) Those members of the authority serving on the effective date of this subsection14 shall serve out the terms to which they were appointed; provide d, however, that any15 vacancy on the board:16 H. B. 615 (SUB) - 1 - 25 LC 47 9005S (i) Existing on the effective date of this subsection; or17 (ii) Created by one or more of such members vacating his or her office prior to the18 end of his or her term following the effective date of this subsection; 19 shall be filled by a member appointed by the Chatham County legislative delegation to20 serve out the remainder of the unexpired term. 21 (B)(i) Upon the expiration of the term of board member Sandra Cason, the Board of22 Commissioners of Chatham County shall appoint a member of the authority from a23 list of nominees made by the Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce.24 (ii) Upon the expiration of the term of board member Bob Fritz , the Board of25 Commissioners of Chatham County shall appoint a member of the authority.26 (iii) Upon the expiration of the term of any other member of the authority serving on27 June 30, 2025, such board membership shall be abolished. 28 (3)(A) Except as provided for in subparagraph (A) of paragraph (2) of this subsection,29 members of the authority appointed by the legislative delegation shall serve two-year30 terms of office and until their successors are appointed and qu alified; provided,31 however, that of the initial seven members appointed by the leg islative delegation32 pursuant to this subsection, the legislative delegation shall designate three of the initial33 seven members to serve an initial term of one year and until th eir successors are34 appointed and qualified.35 (B) Members of the authority appointed by the Board of Commissioners of Chatham36 County pursuant to divisions (2)(B)(i) and (2)(B)(ii) of this s ubsection shall serve37 four-year terms of office and until their successors are appoin ted and qualified;38 provided, however, that the initial member appointed pursuant to division (2)(B)(ii) of39 this subsection shall be appointed to an initial term of office of three years and until his40 or her successor is appointed and qualified.41 H. B. 615 (SUB) - 2 - 25 LC 47 9005S (4) For the purposes of this subsection, the Chatham County legislative delegation shall42 be composed of all senators and representatives in the General Assembly whose districts43 are wholly or partially in Chatham County."44 "(h) A quorum of the authority shall be a majority of the board members authorized by this45 Act. No vacancy on the authority shall impair the right of the quorum to exercise all of the46 rights and perform all the duties of the authority."47 SECTION 2.48 This Act shall become effective on July 1, 2025.49 SECTION 3.50 All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.51 H. B. 615 (SUB) - 3 - ## 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 House bill would restructure the board of the Chatham County Recreation Authority, gradually shrinking it from up to 14 members to nine and changing how new members are chosen. ### Plain-language summary The Chatham County Recreation Authority was created by a 1995 state law. This bill amends that law to change how the authority's governing board is structured and staffed. From July 1, 2025 until February 28, 2029, the board can have up to 14 members. Starting March 1, 2029, it shrinks to nine members. Current board members finish their existing terms, but most vacancies that come up will simply be eliminated rather than refilled, except for two specific seats: when board member Sandra Cason's term ends, the Chatham County Board of Commissioners appoints a replacement from names nominated by the Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce, and when board member Bob Fritz's term ends, the Commissioners appoint a replacement directly. The bill also sets term lengths (two years for delegation appointees, four years for the two Commissioner appointees), redefines a quorum as a majority of the board seats set by the law, and takes effect July 1, 2025. ### What it does - Shrinks the Chatham County Recreation Authority board from up to 14 members to nine members, phased in by March 1, 2029. - Eliminates board seats as they come open, except for two specific seats tied to outgoing members Sandra Cason and Bob Fritz. - Directs the Chatham County Board of Commissioners to fill the Cason seat from nominees submitted by the Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce. - Directs the Chatham County Board of Commissioners to directly appoint a replacement for the Bob Fritz seat. - Sets two-year terms for board members appointed by the Chatham County legislative delegation and four-year terms for the two Commissioner-appointed members. - Redefines a quorum as a majority of the board members authorized under the law, and states that vacancies do not block the board from acting. ### Who it affects Current and future members of the Chatham County Recreation Authority board, the Chatham County Board of Commissioners, the Chatham County legislative delegation in the General Assembly, and the Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce, which gains a nomination role for one board seat. ### Why it matters Chatham County residents rely on the recreation authority to oversee local recreation facilities and programs. Cutting the board's size and changing how vacancies are filled shifts control over future appointments away from the legislative delegation and toward the county commission and a local business group. ### Key provisions - Section 1 amends Section 2(b) of the 1995 Act, capping the board at 14 members through February 28, 2029, then reducing it to nine members starting March 1, 2029. - Current members finish their existing terms, but most vacancies created after the effective date are abolished rather than refilled. - The Cason seat is filled by the Board of Commissioners from nominees provided by the Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce; the Fritz seat is filled directly by the Board of Commissioners. - Legislative delegation appointees serve two-year terms (with three of the initial seven serving one-year terms); the two Commissioner appointees serve four-year terms (with an initial three-year term for the Fritz successor). - Section 2(h) is revised to define a quorum as a majority of the board members authorized by the Act and to clarify that vacancies do not prevent the board from acting. - Section 2 sets the effective date as July 1, 2025. - Section 3 repeals conflicting laws. ## Status - Status: Introduced (2025-02-24) - Last action: House Withdrawn, Recommitted (2025-03-25) - Sponsors: Jesse Petrea, Ron Stephens, Carl Gilliard, Bill Hitchens, Edna Jackson - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70745 > The history, votes, and amendments (355 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb615.md?full=1