HB1556: HB1556 Nicholls, City of; provide new charter

This bill replaces the existing governing document for the City of Nicholls, in Coffee County, with a completely new charter. It sets up a five-member city council elected at large to four-year terms, a mayor elected separately, and a mayor pro tem chosen by the council. It creates the position of city manager to handle daily administration, along with a city attorney, city clerk, and department directors for administration, fire, police, roads, and water and sewer. The bill spells out how meetings, ordinances, and emergency actions work, and it creates a municipal court with a chief judge to handle violations of city ordinances and some state offenses, with appeals going to the Superior Court of Coffee County. It also lays out the city's taxing, budgeting, borrowing, and contracting powers. The charter takes effect upon passage, and it repeals the city's 1920 charter and any conflicting laws.

• Reincorporates the City of Nicholls under a new charter and replaces its 1920 charter (Ga. L. 1920, p. 1329), which is repealed entirely.
• Creates a five-member city council elected at large to four-year terms and a separately elected mayor also serving four-year terms.
• Establishes the office of city manager, appointed by the council, to run daily administration and supervise department directors.
• Creates the Municipal Court of the City of Nicholls with a chief judge who can fine violators up to $1,000 or jail them up to 12 months, or both.
• Sets out the city's power to levy property taxes, business taxes, service charges, special assessments, and to issue general obligation and revenue bonds.
• Establishes budgeting, auditing, and contracting procedures, including a requirement for an annual independent audit of city finances.

Residents and voters of the City of Nicholls in Coffee County, current and future city councilmembers and the mayor, city employees including the city manager, city attorney, and city clerk, department directors, and anyone appearing before the new Municipal Court of the City of Nicholls.

Nicholls residents would see a formally restructured local government with a professional city manager handling day-to-day operations, a defined municipal court with real penalty limits, and clearer rules for taxes, budgets, and elections, replacing a charter that dates back over a century.

• Section 1.10 through 1.14 reincorporate the city and grant broad home-rule style powers, construed liberally in the city's favor.
• Section 2.10 through 2.13 create a five-member city council elected at large for four-year terms with residency and voter-registration requirements.
• Section 2.24 through 2.26 establish an at-will city manager appointed by the council to oversee administration and department heads.
• Article IV (Sections 4.10 to 4.15) creates the Municipal Court of the City of Nicholls, capping fines at $1,000 and jail time at 12 months, with appeals to the Superior Court of Coffee County.
• Section 5.11 sets the first election under the new charter for November 2029 and establishes quadrennial general elections.
• Article VI (Sections 6.10 to 6.30) grants power to levy property and business taxes, issue bonds, adopt annual budgets, and require an independent annual audit.
• Section 7.16 repeals the City of Nicholls' 1920 charter (Ga. L. 1920, p. 1329) and all amendments to it in their entirety.

1. 2026-05-12Effective Date 2026-05-12
2. 2026-05-12Act 678
3. 2026-05-12House Date Signed by Governor (House)
4. 2026-04-10House Sent to Governor (House)
5. 2026-03-27Senate Passed/Adopted (Senate)
6. 2026-03-27Senate Committee Favorably Reported (Senate)
7. 2026-03-25Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
8. 2026-03-23House Passed/Adopted (House)

• Angie O'Steen (R, HD-169)Primary sponsor

1. PassedHouse voteMarch 23, 2026

   158 yea, 0 nay (12 not voting, 6 absent)

   Local Calendar : House Vote #739

2. PassedSenate voteMarch 27, 2026

   47 yea, 0 nay (6 not voting, 1 absent)

   Local Consent Calendar: Senate Vote #825

• city charters
• local government
• municipal court
• Coffee County
• Nicholls Georgia