SB 629: Town of Braswell; transfer of duties and obligations to Paulding and Polk counties; provide

Braswell, a small Georgia town straddling Paulding and Polk counties, was incorporated by an 1895 state law. This bill would repeal that 1895 charter entirely, ending the town's legal existence. In its place, Paulding and Polk counties would take over all government services, ordinances, and court enforcement within the old town boundaries. The bill creates two special tax districts, one in each county, to handle Braswell's bonded debts and other obligations, dividing them by the share of the town's population living in each county. It transfers real estate, equipment, records, permits, licenses, and pending court cases to the counties, and continues Braswell's zoning rules until the counties adopt their own. Future sales tax proceeds Braswell would have received go to the counties instead. A 'Community of Braswell' designation preserves the name for signage purposes. The change takes effect August 1, 2026.

• Repeals the 1895 Act that incorporated the town of Braswell, ending its existence as a municipality.
• Transfers government authority over the former town area to Paulding County and Polk County based on where the land lies.
• Creates two special tax and service districts, one per county, to collect funds and pay off Braswell's bonded debt and contract obligations.
• Transfers Braswell's real estate, personal property, records, permits, and licenses to the two counties according to location.
• Moves pending municipal court cases to the appropriate county magistrate or other court and ends Braswell's status as a party in other lawsuits.
• Shields Paulding County, Polk County, and the state from liability for Braswell's past debts and obligations except as specifically assumed under the bill.

Residents and property owners in the former town of Braswell, Paulding and Polk county governments and courts, Braswell's bondholders and contract counterparties, Braswell municipal employees, and anyone with a pending case in Braswell's municipal court.

Residents of the former town would now be governed entirely by county ordinances, courts, and services instead of a town government. Bondholders and contract partners would deal with the counties as successors, and local sales tax proceeds once earmarked for Braswell would instead go to Paulding and Polk counties.

• Section 1 repeals the 1895 Act that created the town of Braswell.
• Section 2 gives Paulding and Polk counties full authority over government services and ordinance enforcement in the former town area.
• Section 4 creates the Braswell-Paulding Services District and Braswell-Polk Services District as special tax zones tied to the old town boundaries.
• Section 5 divides Braswell's real property, personal property, and financial assets between the two counties based on location, and splits general fund money by population share.
• Section 6 makes the counties responsible for Braswell's bonded debt in proportion to population, while shielding the counties and state from other pre-existing liabilities.
• Section 9 transfers pending municipal court cases to county magistrate courts or other courts of competent jurisdiction.
• Section 11 and Section 12 direct future special purpose and local option sales tax proceeds that would have gone to Braswell to the counties instead.
• Section 13 creates a 'Community of Braswell' designation with county authority to install boundary signage.

1. 2026-04-02House First Readers (House)
2. 2026-03-31Senate Passed/Adopted By Substitute (Senate)
3. 2026-03-31Senate Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (Senate)
4. 2026-03-23Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
5. 2026-03-20Senate Hopper (Senate)

• Jason Anavitarte (R, SD-031)Primary sponsor

1. PassedSenate voteMarch 31, 2026

   45 yea, 0 nay (5 not voting, 4 absent)

   Local Consent Calendar: Senate Vote #873

• town dissolution
• local government
• Paulding County
• Polk County
• municipal debt