Georgia CommonsSB 567: "Ellaville-Schley County Parks and Recreation Authority Act"; enact
Last action May 12, 2026 · Effective Date 2026-05-12
Senate Bill 567 creates the Ellaville-Schley County Parks and Recreation Authority, a new public body that can build and run parks and recreation facilities across Schley County starting in 2026.
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 LegiScan holds.
In plain language
Schley County and the City of Ellaville currently have no dedicated public authority for parks and recreation. This bill creates one: the Ellaville-Schley County Parks and Recreation Authority, a political subdivision of the state with its own legal identity, run by a five-member board appointed jointly by the county and the city. The authority can acquire land, build and operate parks, pools, athletic fields, trails, and similar facilities, borrow money through revenue bonds, enter contracts, and hire staff. Its bonds and property are exempt from state taxes but not sales and use tax. It has the same lawsuit immunity as the state for torts, and disputes must be filed in Schley County Superior Court. The county and city must fund it through an intergovernmental agreement and it must adopt an annual budget and get independent audits. The authority becomes active July 1, 2026, and must start offering recreational services by January 1, 2027.
What the bill does
- Creates the Ellaville-Schley County Parks and Recreation Authority as a political subdivision of Georgia with power to sue, be sued, and hold property.
- Establishes a five-member governing board, with two members appointed by Schley County, two by the City of Ellaville, and one jointly, serving staggered two-year terms.
- Grants the authority power to acquire land, build and run parks, pools, athletic fields, trails, and other recreation facilities across Schley County.
- Authorizes the authority to issue revenue bonds and other debt instruments to pay for projects, exempt from state taxes but not sales and use tax.
- Requires the county and city to fund the authority through an intergovernmental agreement and requires an annual balanced budget and independent audit.
- Sets July 1, 2026 as the authority's activation date and requires it to begin offering recreational services by January 1, 2027.
Who it affects
Residents of Schley County and the City of Ellaville who use parks and recreation facilities, the governing bodies of Schley County and Ellaville who appoint board members and help fund the authority, board members themselves, and any staff or contractors the authority hires or works with.
Why it matters
Schley County would gain a dedicated public agency with borrowing power and tax exemptions to build and run parks, pools, trails, and athletic facilities, potentially expanding recreational options, while county and city governments take on new funding and oversight responsibilities under an intergovernmental agreement.
Key provisions
- Section 2 creates the authority as a body corporate with a five-member board appointed by Schley County (2), the City of Ellaville (2), and jointly (1), with terms starting July 1, 2026.
- Section 3 defines key terms including 'project,' which covers a wide range of parks and recreation facilities like pools, trails, golf courses, and stadiums.
- Section 4 lists the authority's powers, including acquiring property, entering contracts, borrowing money, and extending credit to local governments, but bars it from building or maintaining roads with public funds.
- Sections 5 through 7 authorize revenue bonds under Georgia's Revenue Bond Law, exempt them from state taxation, and specify they do not count as debt of the state or local governments.
- Section 8 exempts the authority's property and activities from taxes and assessments, except sales and use tax.
- Section 9 gives the authority and its employees the same immunity from tort and negligence liability as the state.
- Section 12 requires funding through an intergovernmental agreement with Schley County and Ellaville, an annual balanced budget adopted by December 31, and an independent yearly audit.
- Section 16 sets the authority's activation date as July 1, 2026, with recreational services required to begin by January 1, 2027.
From the bill
“There is created a body corporate and politic to be known as the Ellaville-Schley County Parks and Recreation Authority, which shall be deemed to be a political subdivision of the State of Georgia and a public corporation.”
“The authority shall become active on July 1, 2026. The authority shall begin providing recreational services no later than January 1, 2027.”
Status timeline
- Effective Date 2026-05-12
- Act 699
- Senate Date Signed by Governor (Senate)
- Senate Sent to Governor (Senate)
- House Passed/Adopted (House)
- House Third Readers (House)
- House Committee Favorably Reported (House)
- House Second Readers (House)
Show full history (13 actions)
- House First Readers (House)
- Senate Passed/Adopted (Senate)
- Senate Committee Favorably Reported (Senate)
- Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
- Senate Hopper (Senate)
Sponsors
- Ed Harbison (D, SD-015)
- Mike Cheokas (R, HD-151)
Votes
- Senate voteMarch 3, 2026
45 yea, 0 nay (6 not voting, 4 absent)
- House voteMarch 25, 2026
164 yea, 0 nay (8 not voting, 4 absent)
Topics
- parks and recreation
- local government authorities
- Schley County
- revenue bonds
- public facilities