HB1577: HB1577 Woodbine, City of; mayor; revise powers

This bill changes the 1996 charter for the City of Woodbine, a local government law specific to that city. Currently the mayor's voting and administrative powers are defined by the charter's existing sections. The bill gives the mayor the right to vote on all matters before the city council, not just participate in discussion. It also lets the mayor appoint a city administrator (subject to city council approval), who becomes the city's chief administrative officer answering to both mayor and council. The mayor can suspend that administrator for up to 14 days without pay if the administrator ignores written corrective directions, but no more than three times per year. Finally, the bill revises the city's contracting rules, allowing the mayor to authorize certain contracts for accounting, auditing, or legal services (capped at $25,000 per year) only if the city has failed to meet audit or budget reporting requirements for over 12 months.

• Gives the mayor of Woodbine the power to vote on all matters before the city council, not just discuss them.
• Allows the mayor to appoint a city administrator, subject to city council approval, as the city's chief administrative officer.
• Lets the mayor suspend the city administrator without pay for up to 14 days for failing to follow written corrective directions, capped at three suspensions per year.
• Lets the city council set the administrator's pay jointly with the mayor.
• Allows the mayor to authorize contracts up to $25,000 per year for accounting, auditing, or legal services, but only if the city has missed state audit or budget reporting requirements for more than 12 months.
• Requires all contract approvals to be recorded in the city council's journal of proceedings and to follow standard procurement procedures.

The bill directly affects the mayor, city council, and city administrator of Woodbine, Georgia, as well as any vendors or professionals (accountants, auditors, attorneys) who contract with the city.

The changes shift some day-to-day authority in Woodbine's city government toward the mayor, giving the mayor a council vote, hiring and disciplinary power over the top administrator, and limited emergency contracting authority if the city falls behind on financial reporting. This could change how quickly city decisions and contracts move.

• Section 1 revises Section 3.22 of the charter so the mayor may vote on all council matters, not just participate in discussion.
• Section 2 revises Section 4 to let the mayor appoint a city administrator with council approval and allows suspension without pay for up to 14 days, limited to three times a year, for failing written corrective directions.
• Section 2 also keeps compensation of the city administrator set jointly by the mayor and council.
• Section 3 revises Section 6.30 to require all city contracts be in writing and generally authorized by the city council, with a narrow exception letting the mayor authorize accounting, auditing, or legal service contracts up to $25,000 per year if the city misses audit or budget reporting deadlines by more than 12 months.
• Section 3 requires such mayoral contract approvals to be logged in the city council's official journal and to follow standard procurement ordinances.
• Section 4 repeals conflicting laws.

1. 2026-03-27Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
2. 2026-03-25House Passed/Adopted (House)
3. 2026-03-25House Third Readers (House)
4. 2026-03-25House Committee Favorably Reported (House)
5. 2026-03-20House Second Readers (House)
6. 2026-03-19House First Readers (House)
7. 2026-03-18House Hopper (House)

• Steven Sainz (R, HD-180)Primary sponsor

1. PassedHouse voteMarch 25, 2026

   164 yea, 0 nay (8 not voting, 4 absent)

   Local Calendar : House Vote #754

• local government charters
• city council powers
• municipal contracting
• Woodbine Georgia
• city administrator