House Bill 966 (AS PASSED HOUSE AND SENATE)
By: Representatives Westbrook of the 163rd, Jackson of the 165th, Gilliard of the 162nd,
Stephens of the 164th, and Hitchens of the 161st
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend an Act creating a new charter for the City of Garden City, approved April 17, 1973
(Ga. L. 1973, p. 3581), as amended, particularly by an Act approved May 6, 2024 (Ga. L.
2024, p. 4332), so as to provide for the mayor to fill any vacancy in the office of mayor pro
tempore; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION 1.
An Act creating a new charter for the City of Garden City, approved April 17, 1973
(Ga. L. 1973, p. 3581), as amended, is amended by revising subsection (b) of Section 2.03
as follows:
"(b) Commencing with the general election on the Tuesday following the first Monday in
November, 2011, the city shall elect a mayor at large for a term of four years. After each
regular election, the city council shall meet for organization at its first regular meeting next
following the meeting where the oath of office has been administered. If the mayor has
been elected at the recent election, he or she shall appoint one of the other councilpersons
to serve as mayor pro tempore for a four-year term and until his or her successor is elected
and qualified. The mayor shall fill any vacancy in the mayor pro tempore's office. The
mayor pro tempore shall act as mayor during any absence or disability of the mayor but
shall only vote once on matters before the council and, if a vacancy occurs in the office of
mayor, shall become mayor for the remainder of the unexpired term. The city council shall
also, by majority vote of all the members, elect one of their number, other than the mayor
or mayor pro tempore, to be president of council who shall temporarily assume the mayor's
position in the event that the mayor and mayor pro tempore are both unavailable, but who
shall not, by virtue of being president of council, become mayor in the event that any
vacancy occurs in such office. The president of council shall serve for a term of two years
and until his or her successor is elected and qualified. If the president of council leaves
office before his or her term has expired, he or she shall be replaced by a majority vote of
city council at any regular meeting of city council."
SECTION 2.
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.