---
title: O.C.G.A. § 36-36-51. Legislative declaration of policy.
collection: code
id: 36-36-51
cite_as: O.C.G.A. § 36-36-51 (2025)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/36-36-51
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/36-36-51.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/36-36-51/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/joint-features-document-library/t35-t36-ch1-59-(v27)-2025-pdf.pdf?sfvrsn=66569db4_0#page=762
date: 2025
status: active
corpus_version: 2025-supplement-89aa39ab3c68
license: CC0-1.0
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
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version: the only printed version
in_force: true
current_through: Including Acts of the 2025 Session of the General Assembly of Georgia
heading_path: LOCAL GOVERNMENT / Provisions Applicable to Municipal Corporations Only / ANNEXATION OF TERRITORY / ANNEXATION PURSUANT TO RESOLUTION AND REFERENDUM
---

# O.C.G.A. § 36-36-51. Legislative declaration of policy.

It is declared to be the policy in this state:

(1) That municipal corporations are created for the purpose of providing local governmental services and for ensuring the health, safety, and welfare of persons and the protection of property in areas being used primarily for residential, commercial, industrial, and institutional purposes;

(2) That the orderly growth of municipal corporations, based on the need for municipal services and the ability of the municipal corporation to serve, is essential to the economic progress of the state and to the well-being of its urban citizens;

(3) That the extension of municipal boundaries to accomplish orderly growth should be in accordance with standards established by the General Assembly; and

(4) That any areas included within municipal boundaries under this article should receive all services provided by the annexing municipal corporation as soon as possible after coming within its boundaries.

## History

Ga. L. 1970, p. 426, § 1; Ga. L. 1971, p. 398, § 1; Code 1981, § 36-36-41; Code 1981, § 36-36-51, as redesignated by Ga. L. 1992, p. 2592, § 3.

## Editor's Notes

Ga. L. 1992, p. 2592, § 3, effective July 1, 1992, renumbered former Code Section 36-36-41 as present Code Section 36-36-51.