SB 338: City of Macon, City of Payne City, and Bibb County; mayor and remove such limits for commissioners; increase the term limits

The 2012 Georgia law that merged the City of Macon and Bibb County into one consolidated government set term limits for local officials. This bill amends that law to change those limits. Section 1 rewrites the term-limit rule for the mayor, raising the cap from two four-year terms to three four-year terms. It keeps the existing rule that an initial term of less than four years still counts as a full term, and that any earlier service as a City of Macon or Bibb County officer does not count toward the limit. The bill's title also states that it removes term limits for commissioners, though the operative text shown only revises the mayor's subsection (e); Section 2 repeals any conflicting laws.

• Raises the mayor's term limit under the 2012 Macon-Bibb consolidation law from two four-year terms to three four-year terms.
• Keeps the rule that a partial initial term under four years still counts as one full term toward the mayor's limit.
• Keeps the rule that prior service as a City of Macon or Bibb County officer before consolidation does not count toward the mayor's term limit.
• States in its title that it removes term limits for county commissioners, in addition to changing the mayor's limit.
• Repeals any existing state laws that conflict with these changes.

The current and future mayor of the consolidated Macon-Bibb County government, county commissioners serving on the Macon-Bibb governing body, and the voters of Macon-Bibb County who elect these officials.

If enacted, a sitting or future mayor could remain in office for up to 12 years instead of 8, and commissioners could serve without any cap on the number of terms, changing how long local officials can hold power in the Macon-Bibb consolidated government.

• Section 1 amends Section 10(e) of the 2012 Act (Ga. L. 2012, p. 5595) that created the Macon-Bibb consolidated government, raising the mayor's term limit to three four-year terms.
• Section 1 retains language that a short initial term still counts as a full term and that pre-consolidation service does not count toward the limit.
• Section 2 repeals any state laws that conflict with this bill's changes.

1. 2025-03-13Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
2. 2025-03-13Senate Hopper (Senate)

• David Lucas (D, SD-26)Primary sponsor

• local government
• term limits
• Macon-Bibb County
• city and county consolidation