---
title: O.C.G.A. § 36-44-2. Legislative findings and purpose.
collection: code
id: 36-44-2
cite_as: O.C.G.A. § 36-44-2 (2025)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/36-44-2
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/36-44-2.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/36-44-2/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=910
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.
up: https://georgiacommons.org/code/36-44.md
previous: https://georgiacommons.org/code/36-44-1.md
next: https://georgiacommons.org/code/36-44-3.md
index: https://georgiacommons.org/code/index.md
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 / REDEVELOPMENT POWERS
---

# O.C.G.A. § 36-44-2. Legislative findings and purpose.

It is found and declared that economically and socially depressed areas exist within counties and municipalities of this state and that these areas contribute to or cause unemployment, limit the tax resources of counties and municipalities, and create a greater demand for governmental services and, in general, have a deleterious effect upon the public health, safety, morals, and welfare. It is, therefore, in the public interest that such areas be redeveloped to the maximum extent practicable to improve economic and social conditions therein in order to abate or eliminate such deleterious effects. To encourage such redevelopment, it is essential that the counties and municipalities of this state have additional powers to form a more effective partnership with private enterprise to overcome economic limitations that have previously impeded or prohibited redevelopment of such areas. It is the purpose of this chapter, therefore, to grant such additional powers to the counties and municipalities of this state, and it is the intention of the General Assembly that this chapter be liberally construed to carry out such purpose.

## History

Code 1981, § 36-44-2, enacted by Ga. L. 2009, p. 158, § 2/HB 63.