---
title: O.C.G.A. § 36-70-22. Date for process initiation; notice to municipalities and counties impacted.
collection: code
id: 36-70-22
cite_as: O.C.G.A. § 36-70-22 (2025)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/36-70-22
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/36-70-22.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/36-70-22/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=287
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
previous: https://georgiacommons.org/code/36-70-21.md
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index: https://georgiacommons.org/code/index.md
version: the only printed version
in_force: true
other_versions:
  - version: Effective until January 1, 2026.
    in_force: false
    md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/36-70-22.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. § 36-70-22. Date for process initiation; notice to municipalities and counties impacted.

(a)(1) Each county shall initiate the process for developing a local government service delivery strategy required by paragraph (1) of subsection (a) of Code Section 36-70-21 no earlier than April 1 and no later than July 1 of the year following any year in which the county’s ten-year comprehensive plan update is due.

(2) Each county shall initiate the process for developing a local government service delivery strategy required by a triggering event under paragraph (2) of subsection (a) of Code Section 36-70-21 no later than 30 days following the occurrence of the event. If the county does not initiate such process within the 30 day period, any municipality in the county may initiate the process.

(3) Any municipality affected by a change in service delivery or revenue distribution arrangements as described in subsection (b.1) of Code Section 36-70-28 may initiate the process of amending a local government service delivery strategy pursuant to subsection (b.1) of Code Section 36-70-28.

(b) Initiation of the strategy shall be accomplished by the provision of a written notice from the county to the governing bodies of all municipalities located wholly or partially within the county or providing services within the county and to other counties providing services within the county. Such notice shall:

(1) State the date, time, and place for a joint meeting at which designated representatives of all local governing bodies shall assemble for the purpose of commencing deliberations on the service delivery strategy;

(2) Be sent not more than 45 and not less than 15 days prior to the meeting date; and

(3) Identify all local governments to which the notice will be delivered.

(c) In the event the county governing authority fails to initiate the process by July 1 of the year following any year in which the county’s ten-year comprehensive plan update is due, any municipality within the county may do so by sending a written notice, containing the required information, to the county and all other municipalities.

## History

Code 1981, § 36-70-22, enacted by Ga. L. 1997, p. 1567, § 1; Ga. L. 2024, p. 1044, § 1/HB 1407, effective January 1, 2026; Ga. L. 2025, p. 1029, § 36(31)/SB 153, effective July 1, 2025.

## 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.

## Amendments

The 2024 amendment, effective January 1, 2026, substituted the current provisions of this Code section for the former provisions, which read: “Each county shall initiate the process for developing a local government service delivery strategy after July 1, 1997, but no later than January 1, 1998. Initiation of the strategy shall be accomplished by the provision of a written notice from the county to the governing bodies of all municipalities located wholly or partially within the county or providing services within the county and to other counties providing services within the county. Such notice shall state the date, time, and place for a joint meeting at which designated representatives of all local governing bodies shall assemble for the purpose of commencing deliberations on the service delivery strategy. The notice shall be sent not more than 45 and not less than 15 days prior to the meeting date. In the event the county governing authority fails to initiate the process by January 1, 1998, any municipality within the county may do so by sending a written notice, containing the required information, to the county and all other municipalities.”

The 2025 amendment, effective July 1, 2025, part of an Act to revise, modernize, and correct the Code, substituted “April 1” for “April 1st” and “July 1” for “July 1st” in paragraph (a)(1).