---
title: O.C.G.A. § 36-70-20. Legislative intent.
collection: code
id: 36-70-20
cite_as: O.C.G.A. § 36-70-20 (2025)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/36-70-20
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/36-70-20.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/36-70-20/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/joint-features-document-library/t36-ch60-92-(v27a)-2025-pdf.pdf?sfvrsn=1fad51cc_0#page=285
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/36-70.md
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version: Effective January 1, 2026.
in_force: true
other_versions:
  - version: Effective until January 1, 2026.
    in_force: false
    md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/36-70-20.md?version=until+January+1%2C+2026
current_through: Including Acts of the 2025 Session of the General Assembly of Georgia
heading_path: LOCAL GOVERNMENT / Provisions Applicable to Counties and Municipal Corporations / COORDINATED AND COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING AND SERVICE DELIVERY BY COUNTIES AND MUNICIPALITIES / (EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1, 2026.) SERVICE DELIVERY
---

# O.C.G.A. § 36-70-20. Legislative intent.

The intent of this article is to provide a flexible framework within which local governments in each county can develop a service delivery system that is both efficient and responsive to citizens in their county. The General Assembly recognizes that the unique characteristics of each county throughout the state preclude a mandated legislative outcome for the delivery of services in every county. The process provided by this article is intended to minimize inefficiencies resulting from duplication of services and competition between local governments and to provide a mechanism to resolve disputes over local government service delivery, funding equity, and land use. The local government service delivery process should result in the minimization of incompatible municipal and county land use plans and in a simple, concise agreement describing which local governments will provide which service in specified areas within a county and how provision of such services will be funded.

## History

Code 1981, § 36-70-20, enacted by Ga. L. 1997, p. 1567, § 1; Ga. L. 2024, p. 1044, § 1/HB 1407, effective January 1, 2026.

## Editor's Notes

This Code section is set out twice in this Code. See the delayed effective date note at the beginning of this article.

## Law Reviews

For annual survey of local government law, see 58 Mercer L. Rev. 267 (2006).

## Amendments

The 2024 amendment, effective January 1, 2026, substituted “incompatible” for “noncompatible” in the middle of the last sentence.