HB953: HB953 City of Statesboro Public Facilities Authority Act; enact

This bill sets up a new public authority for the City of Statesboro, similar to authorities other Georgia cities already use. The authority would be a separate legal entity from the city and the state, run by five appointed members, and would have the power to buy land, construct and operate buildings and other facilities, sign contracts and leases, and issue revenue bonds to pay for projects. The bill spells out how members are appointed and serve, what counts as a project and project cost, and how the authority can pledge rents and revenue to repay bondholders. It makes clear that any debt issued by the authority is not a debt of the City of Statesboro or the State of Georgia, and that the authority's bonds and property are exempt from most taxes. Legal disputes involving the authority go to the Superior Court of Bulloch County. If the authority is ever dissolved, its remaining property goes to the City of Statesboro.

• Creates the City of Statesboro Public Facilities Authority as a separate public corporation that can acquire, build, and run facilities for the city.
• Sets up a five-member board appointed by the Statesboro city government, with three-year terms and rules for filling vacancies.
• Authorizes the authority to issue revenue bonds (debt repaid from project income, not taxes) to pay for construction and other project costs.
• Specifies that bonds issued by the authority do not create debt for the City of Statesboro or the State of Georgia and are not backed by tax revenue.
• Exempts the authority's bonds, income, and most property from state taxation, though not from sales and use tax.
• Gives the authority the same legal immunity from lawsuits over accidents and negligence (tort immunity) that Georgia counties have.

The bill mainly affects the City of Statesboro's government, the appointed members of the new authority, companies and individuals who contract or lease facilities from the authority, and bondholders who buy the authority's revenue bonds. Bulloch County's superior court also gains a role in handling related legal disputes.

By creating this authority, Statesboro gains a separate financing tool that can borrow money for buildings and public facilities without that debt counting against the city's or state's credit, potentially speeding up construction projects while shielding city and state budgets from bond repayment obligations.

• Section 2 establishes the authority as an independent public corporation for building and operating city facilities, distinct from any state agency.
• Section 3 sets board membership at five people, appointed by the Statesboro governing authority, with staggered three-year terms and a quorum of three.
• Section 5 lists the authority's powers, including buying and leasing property, hiring staff, borrowing money, and issuing revenue bonds.
• Section 6 states that bonds issued under this Act are not a debt of the City of Statesboro or the State of Georgia and cannot be enforced against government property.
• Section 9 sets the Superior Court of Bulloch County as the exclusive venue for lawsuits against the authority and for bond validation actions.
• Section 14 exempts the authority from most taxes on its property and income but not from sales and use tax.
• Section 15 gives the authority and its employees the same tort immunity as a Georgia county.
• Section 20 requires that any remaining authority property be transferred to the City of Statesboro if the authority is dissolved after its bonds are paid off.

1. 2026-05-12Effective Date 2026-05-12
2. 2026-05-12Act 658
3. 2026-05-12House Date Signed by Governor (House)
4. 2026-04-06House Sent to Governor (House)
5. 2026-02-17Senate Passed/Adopted (Senate)
6. 2026-02-17Senate Committee Favorably Reported (Senate)
7. 2026-02-09Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
8. 2026-02-06House Passed/Adopted (House)

• Lehman Franklin (R, HD-160)Primary sponsor
• Butch Parrish (R, HD-158)
• Jon Burns (R, HD-159)

1. PassedHouse voteFebruary 6, 2026

   163 yea, 0 nay (7 not voting, 5 absent)

   Local Calendar : House Vote #480

2. PassedSenate voteFebruary 17, 2026

   48 yea, 1 nay (2 not voting, 3 absent)

   Local Consent Calendar: Senate Vote #548

• local government authorities
• municipal bonds
• Statesboro
• public facilities financing
• government structure