Georgia CommonsHouse · Passed · 2025-2026 Regular Session
HB 738: Butts County; appointment of county surveyor; provide
Last action May 13, 2025 · Effective Date
House Bill 738 ends the elected office of county surveyor in Butts County and lets the county's governing authority appoint the surveyor instead, serving one-year terms.
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
Butts County currently elects its county surveyor, a local official who handles land surveying matters for the county. This bill abolishes that elected office and instead gives the Butts County governing authority (the county commission) the power to appoint someone to the job. The person appointed must meet the same qualifications already required by state law (O.C.G.A. § 36-7-2) for county surveyors. Appointments last one year, and each successor must also be appointed to a one-year term. The change takes effect as soon as the Governor signs it, or automatically if it becomes law without a signature.
What the bill does
- Abolishes the elected office of county surveyor in Butts County, ending voter selection of that position.
- Gives the Butts County governing authority the power to appoint a county surveyor instead of holding an election.
- Sets each appointed surveyor's term at one year, with successors also appointed for one-year terms.
- Requires any appointee to meet the surveyor qualifications already set out in Georgia law (O.C.G.A. § 36-7-2).
- Takes effect immediately once the Governor signs it or it becomes law without a signature.
Who it affects
Butts County voters, who will no longer elect this position; the Butts County governing authority, which gains appointment power; and anyone seeking or holding the office of county surveyor in Butts County, who will now serve fixed one-year appointed terms.
Why it matters
The change shifts control over who holds the county surveyor position in Butts County from voters to the county's governing authority. Residents lose the ability to vote directly for this office, while the county commission gains ongoing authority to select and replace the surveyor annually.
Key provisions
- Section 1 abolishes the elected office of county surveyor in Butts County under the authority of O.C.G.A. § 36-7-2.1, which allows counties to convert this office from elected to appointed.
- Section 1 requires the county governing authority to appoint a qualified person to a one-year term, with successors also appointed annually.
- Section 1 requires appointees to meet the qualifications in paragraph (1) of subsection (b) of O.C.G.A. § 36-7-2.
- Section 2 sets the effective date as the date of the Governor's approval, or automatic enactment if not signed.
- Section 3 repeals any conflicting laws.
From the bill
“the office of elected county surveyor of Butts County is hereby abolished”
“The governing authority of Butts County shall appoint a qualified person to hold the office of county surveyor for a term of one year from the date of appointment.”
Status timeline
- Effective Date
- Act 164
- 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
- Clint Crowe (R, HD-118)
Votes
- House voteMarch 18, 2025
171 yea, 0 nay (6 not voting, 3 excused)
- Senate voteMarch 28, 2025
53 yea, 0 nay (1 not voting, 2 excused)
Topics
- Butts County government
- county surveyor
- local government appointments
- Georgia local legislation