--- title: SR 973. Harrell, Chairwoman Carlotta; honor collection: bills id: 2025-2026/sr973 cite_as: SR 973, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr973 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr973.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr973/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/74169 date: 2026-03-19 status: passed corpus_version: bills-2026-09-13 license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice. up: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026.md previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr972.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr974.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 94 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr973.md?full=1 bill_number: SR 973 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: Senate bill_type: resolution status_date: 2026-03-19 last_action: Senate Read and Adopted sponsors: - Sonya Halpern - Brian Strickland - Emanuel Jones - Gail Davenport text_version: Enrolled has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/SR973/2025 upstream_id: 2135861 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - Henry County government - legislative honors - Georgia Senate resolutions --- # SR 973. Harrell, Chairwoman Carlotta; honor ## Text Senate Resolution 973 By: Senators Halpern of the 39th, Strickland of the 42nd, Jones of the 10th and Davenport of the 17th A RESOLUTION Honoring Chairwoman Carlotta Harrell for her distinguished public service, visionary leadership, and unwavering commitment to the citizens of Henry County and the State of Georgia; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, Carlotta Harrell was elected countywide in 2020 as Chairwoman of the Henry County Board of Commissioners and began her term on January 1, 2021, bringing to the office decades of experience in law enforcement, economic development, and public administration; and WHEREAS, born in Georgia as the daughter of a pastor and civil rights freedom fighter, she was raised in a household rooted in faith and service, witnessing her parents advocate for equality alongside Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Congressman John Lewis–an upbringing that shaped her lifelong dedication to justice, equity, and servant leadership; and WHEREAS, an Atlanta native educated in the Atlanta Public School System, she earned degrees in Public Administration and Criminal Justice from Brenau University in Gainesville, Georgia, and went on to serve more than twenty years in law enforcement in the State of Georgia before transitioning into community and economic development; and WHEREAS, she was appointed in 2012 to the Henry County Water Authority Board of Directors, which serves approximately 60,000 metered customers and manages a budget exceeding $72 million, and she later served as Chief of Staff to the Henry County Commissioner for District V; and WHEREAS, for twelve years she provided consulting and project management services to the Georgia Conference of African American Mayors, assisting municipalities in identifying more than $300 million in infrastructure and economic development funding and strengthening public-private partnerships throughout the state; and WHEREAS, as Managing Partner of The Harrell Group, a Women-Owned Small Business consulting firm, she has led strategic planning, organizational development, and operational improvement initiatives for municipal governments and private entities across Georgia; and WHEREAS, as Chairwoman, she has been instrumental in advancing Henry County through bipartisan passage of its first-ever Transportation SPLOST expected to generate more than $250 million for infrastructure improvements, the establishment of a Public Safety Real Time Crime Center, and the securing of $32 million in Federal Emergency Rental Assistance Program funds; and WHEREAS, she serves on the Atlanta Regional Commission Board in her capacity as Chairwoman, has held numerous state and local leadership roles including State President of the Georgia Federation of Democratic Women, State Public Policy Chair for the National Council of Negro Women, Vice Chair of the Henry County SPLOST Committee, and Executive Committee Member of the Georgia Democratic Party, and remains active in faith and community service as a Deacon of Greater Piney Grove Baptist Church; and WHEREAS, her leadership has been recognized statewide through honors including Engineering Georgia's Top 100 Influential Women in Georgia, Atlanta Business League's Top 100 Women of Influence, Southern Crescent Women in Business' Top 50 Women of Influence, and the Georgia Association of Black County Officials' Chairwoman of the Year. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE that the members of this body honor and commend Chairwoman Carlotta Harrell for her outstanding leadership, distinguished career, and transformative impact on Henry County and the State of Georgia. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of the Senate is authorized and directed to make an appropriate copy of this resolution available for distribution to Chairwoman Carlotta Harrell. ## Summaries written by Georgia Commons The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the resolution. Quote the text, not the summary. A Georgia Senate resolution honors Carlotta Harrell, Chairwoman of the Henry County Board of Commissioners, for her career in public service and county leadership. ### Plain-language summary This is a ceremonial resolution from the Georgia Senate, not a change to state law. It recognizes Chairwoman Carlotta Harrell of the Henry County Board of Commissioners for her career in law enforcement, community and economic development, and county government. The resolution recounts her background, education, and professional history, including her work with the Henry County Water Authority, the Georgia Conference of African American Mayors, and her own consulting firm. It also credits her with county achievements during her time as Chairwoman, such as passage of a transportation sales tax measure and creation of a public safety crime center. The Senate directs that a copy of the resolution be given to Harrell as a formal honor. ### What it does - Formally honors and commends Chairwoman Carlotta Harrell for her public service and leadership in Henry County. - Recites her biography, education, and professional history in law enforcement and economic development as part of the record. - Credits her tenure as Chairwoman with county-level achievements like a transportation sales tax measure and a crime center. - Directs the Secretary of the Senate to prepare and distribute a copy of the resolution to Harrell. - Creates no new law, funding, or regulatory change since it is a ceremonial recognition. ### Who it affects The resolution directly names and honors Chairwoman Carlotta Harrell. It has no regulatory effect on other Georgians, though it references Henry County government, the Henry County Water Authority, and the Atlanta Regional Commission in describing her work. ### Why it matters This resolution has no practical effect on Georgia law, funding, or residents beyond formally recognizing one official's career. It matters mainly as a public record of appreciation from the Senate rather than as a policy change. ### Key provisions - The resolved clause states the Senate honors and commends Chairwoman Carlotta Harrell for her leadership and career. - A further resolved clause directs the Secretary of the Senate to provide a copy of the resolution to Harrell for distribution. - The whereas clauses provide background on her education, career, and county accomplishments but carry no legal force. ## Status - Status: Passed (2026-03-19) - Last action: Senate Read and Adopted (2026-03-19) - Sponsors: Sonya Halpern, Brian Strickland, Emanuel Jones, Gail Davenport - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/74169 > The history, votes, and amendments (94 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr973.md?full=1