---
title: O.C.G.A. § 36-70-25.1. Mediation process.
collection: code
id: 36-70-25.1
cite_as: O.C.G.A. § 36-70-25.1 (2025)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/36-70-25.1
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/36-70-25.1.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/36-70-25.1/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=294
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: Effective January 1, 2026.
in_force: true
other_versions:
  - version: Effective until January 1, 2026.
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    md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/36-70-25.1.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. § 36-70-25.1. Mediation process.

(a) As used in this Code section, the term “affected municipality” means the county seat and each municipality of at least 500 persons.

(b) If a county and the affected municipalities in the county are unable to reach an agreement on all services within 90 days of initiation of the process provided for in Code Section 36-70-22, the county and all affected municipalities shall, by such ninetieth day, commence mediation in an attempt to reach a final agreement. Such mediation shall be limited to discussing only those services and geographic areas which remain to be agreed upon.

(c) The costs of the mediation process undergone pursuant to this Code section shall be shared by the parties to the mediation pro rata based on each party’s population according to the most recent United States decennial census with the county’s population including only the unincorporated population of the county.

## History

Code 1981, § 36-70-25.1, enacted by Ga. L. 2000, p. 1439, § 1; Ga. L. 2006, p. 72, § 36/SB 465; Ga. L. 2024, p. 1044, § 1/HB 1407, effective January 1, 2026.

## Code Commission Notes

Ga. L. 2000, p. 1439, § 1, as enacted, contained two subsections designated as (d). Pursuant to Code Section 28-9-5, in 2000, the second subsection (d) was redesignated as subsection (e) and subsection (e) was redesignated as subsection (f); “subsection (c)” was substituted for “subsection (b)” in subparagraph (d)(1)(D); and “subsection (d)” was substituted for “subsection (c)” in newly designated subsection (e).

## Law Reviews

For annual survey on local government law, see 70 Mercer L. Rev. 177 (2018).

For annual survey on local government, see 73 Mercer L. Rev. 193 (2021).

## Amendments

The 2024 amendment, effective January 1, 2026, rewrote this Code section.

## Delayed Effective Date

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