SB630: SB630 City of Hiram; transfer of duties and obligations to Paulding County; provide

This bill responds to concerns about the City of Hiram's financial condition. It repeals the 1956 state law that created the city and, instead of ending things immediately, sets a future effective date of July 1, 2027, giving the city time to show it can become financially stable before dissolution actually happens. If the dissolution goes forward, Paulding County would take over all city services, ordinances, and court jurisdiction within Hiram's old boundaries. The bill creates a special "Hiram Services District" to handle the city's outstanding bonded debt, transfers city property and money to the county, moves pending court cases to Paulding County courts, keeps existing zoning rules in place until the county changes them, and preserves the community's identity by designating a "Community of Hiram" with signage. It also spells out how sales tax proceeds tied to the city would be handled going forward.

• Repeals the 1956 Act that incorporated the City of Hiram, ending the city's legal existence as of July 1, 2027.
• Transfers all city property, records, bank accounts, and legal rights to Paulding County without needing deeds or other transfer paperwork.
• Creates a special Hiram Services District tax zone so Paulding County can raise money to pay off the city's existing bonded debt if needed.
• Moves pending Hiram Municipal Court cases to Paulding County's Magistrate Court or another appropriate county court.
• Shields Paulding County and the state from liability for the city's past debts and claims, except for the bonded debt specifically assigned to the new tax district.
• Keeps Hiram's current zoning and land use rules in effect within the old city limits until Paulding County adopts its own rules for that area.

Residents and business owners in the City of Hiram, city employees whose jobs are not guaranteed to continue, Paulding County government and its courts, bondholders holding the city's debt, and other Paulding County municipalities that share local sales tax revenue with Hiram.

If enacted, Hiram would stop existing as a separate city, and county government would take over police enforcement, courts, zoning, and services in that area. Residents would deal with Paulding County instead of city hall, and a new special tax district could be used to pay off the city's existing bonded debts.

• Section 2 repeals the 1956 Act that created the City of Hiram in its entirety.
• Section 3 gives Paulding County full authority to provide governmental services and enforce ordinances within Hiram's former boundaries.
• Section 4 ends any local authorities created for Hiram, folding joint authorities into their remaining members.
• Section 5 creates the Hiram Services District, a special tax and service district matching Hiram's old boundaries, which can later be dissolved by county resolution.
• Section 6 transfers all of Hiram's property, funds, and records to Paulding County automatically, without deeds or other transfer documents.
• Section 7 makes Paulding County and the state not liable for Hiram's past debts, except that the city's bonded debt becomes an obligation of the new special tax district.
• Sections 10 and 11 transfer pending court cases to Paulding County courts and keep Hiram's zoning rules in effect within the district until the county updates them.
• Section 15 sets the effective date of the Act as July 1, 2027.

1. 2026-03-23Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
2. 2026-03-20Senate Hopper (Senate)

• Jason Anavitarte (R, SD-031)Primary sponsor

• city dissolution
• Paulding County
• municipal government
• local taxes
• zoning