HB1139: HB1139 Spalding County Water Authority Act; enact

This bill amends the 1982 Georgia law that created what has been known as the Spalding County Water and Sewerage Facilities Authority. It renames the authority the Spalding County Water Authority and rewrites the sections covering board membership, compensation, powers, and enforcement. Starting January 1, 2027, the Spalding County governing body will appoint eight of the authority's nine members to staggered four-year terms, replacing the previous six-year term structure, while the county's chairperson or a designee continues to serve as the ninth member. The bill sets specific compensation amounts for board members and the chair, capped at 20 percent of the lowest-paid county commissioner's pay. It also spells out the authority's powers over water and sewer systems, including rate-setting, inspections, pretreatment enforcement, civil penalties up to $1,000 per day for pretreatment violations, and the ability to place liens on property for unpaid charges. A new enforcement section lays out hearing and appeal procedures under Georgia's Administrative Procedure Act (O.C.G.A. Chapter 13 of Title 50).

• Renames the Spalding County Water and Sewerage Facilities Authority as the Spalding County Water Authority, updating the law's short title accordingly.
• Changes board member terms from six-year to four-year staggered terms for eight of the nine seats starting January 1, 2027, and names the current members and their new term end dates.
• Sets specific compensation for board members ($150 per regular meeting, $25 per committee meeting) and the chair ($200 per month plus committee pay), capped at 20 percent of the lowest-paid Spalding County Commissioner's salary.
• Adds a formal enforcement section allowing the authority's general manager or a designated hearing officer to hold hearings, impose civil penalties, and issue executions (legal orders to collect unpaid amounts) against violators.
• Confirms the authority's power to place liens on property for unpaid water and sewer charges, ranking those liens the same as unpaid property tax debts.
• Clarifies that the authority cannot fine or penalize Spalding County itself or its property.

Spalding County residents and businesses who receive water or sewer service from the authority, the nine current and future board members, the Spalding County governing body that appoints them, and any property owners who fall behind on water or sewer charges or violate the authority's pretreatment and water quality rules.

Ratepayers and property owners in Spalding County would deal with an authority operating under a new name, longer-defined enforcement procedures, and clearer rules for penalties and liens on unpaid bills. Board members would serve under new term lengths and updated, capped pay rates starting in 2027.

• Section 1 rewrites the authority's founding sections (Sections 1 through 4) to rename it the 'Spalding County Water Authority' and update its short title.
• Section 2 (of the new Section 2 in the amended Act) details board composition, listing current members by name and setting new four-year staggered terms beginning after 2027.
• Section 2 also fixes board compensation: $150 per regular meeting, $25 per committee meeting, $200 monthly for the chair, capped at 20 percent of the lowest-paid county commissioner's pay.
• Section 4 lists the authority's powers, including setting water and sewer rates, inspecting on-site sewage systems, enforcing pretreatment standards, and imposing civil penalties up to $1,000 per day for pretreatment violations.
• New Section 4.1 creates a formal enforcement process, including hearings, judicial review under O.C.G.A. Code Section 50-13-19, and the authority's power to issue executions and property liens for unpaid penalties or charges.
• Section 2 of the bill (amending the old Act's Section 25) reaffirms the authority's power to set and collect rates, fees, and charges and to issue revenue bonds backed by those revenues.
• Section 3 repeals any conflicting laws.

1. 2026-05-11Effective Date 2026-05-11
2. 2026-05-11Act 540
3. 2026-05-11House Date Signed by Governor (House)
4. 2026-04-06House Sent to Governor (House)
5. 2026-02-24Senate Passed/Adopted (Senate)
6. 2026-02-24Senate Committee Favorably Reported (Senate)
7. 2026-02-17Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
8. 2026-02-12House Passed/Adopted (House)

• Beth Camp (R, HD-135)Primary sponsor
• Karen Mathiak (R, HD-082)

1. PassedHouse voteFebruary 12, 2026

   156 yea, 0 nay (11 not voting, 8 absent)

   Local Calendar : House Vote #506

2. PassedSenate voteFebruary 24, 2026

   53 yea, 0 nay (1 not voting, 1 absent)

   Local Consent Calendar: Senate Vote #571

• water and sewer utilities
• local government authorities
• Spalding County
• utility rates and fees
• government board terms