HB 749: Carroll County; Board of Commissioners; chairperson and members; change annual salary

This bill amends the 1989 local law that governs the Carroll County Board of Commissioners. It rewrites how the chairperson's and commissioners' annual salaries are set, tying the chairperson's pay to the county sheriff's base salary and cost-of-living adjustment plus $25,000, and setting each other commissioner's salary at $20,250 with future cost-of-living increases tied to what county employees receive. It also raises expense allowances for the chairperson and other members. Separately, the bill raises the dollar amount above which the commission must approve county contracts from a prior figure to $35,000, and that threshold will now rise automatically each year based on the national Consumer Price Index. The changes take effect January 1, 2026, and any conflicting laws are repealed.

• Ties the Carroll County Board chairperson's annual salary to the county sheriff's base salary and cost-of-living adjustment, plus an additional $25,000.
• Sets each non-chair commissioner's annual salary at $20,250, with future raises tied to countywide employee cost-of-living increases starting July 1, 2025.
• Sets annual expense allowances of $7,700 for the chairperson and $3,100 for other commissioners, paid from county funds.
• Raises the threshold for contracts requiring commission approval to $35,000, exempting employment contracts.
• Makes that $35,000 contract threshold automatically increase each year based on changes in the national Consumer Price Index (CPI-U), starting July 1, 2025.
• Sets the effective date of all these changes as January 1, 2026.

The bill directly affects the chairperson and members of the Carroll County Board of Commissioners, whose pay and expense allowances change, as well as Carroll County government staff and vendors who deal with county contracts subject to the new approval threshold.

Carroll County commissioners' pay would now automatically track county employee raises and the sheriff's salary formula rather than staying fixed, and county staff would be able to sign off on larger contracts, up to $35,000 and rising with inflation, without separate commission approval.

• Section 1 rewrites Section 7 of the 1989 Carroll County Act, resetting the chairperson's salary formula (sheriff's base pay plus cost-of-living adjustment plus $25,000) and providing use of a county-provided automobile.
• Section 1 sets each other commissioner's base salary at $20,250 and ties future increases to countywide cost-of-living raises or O.C.G.A. § 36-5-28, whichever is greater, beginning July 1, 2025.
• Section 1 sets expense allowances of $7,700 per year for the chairperson and $3,100 per year for other commissioners.
• Section 1 provides that all these salary and allowance figures adjust annually under O.C.G.A. § 36-5-28, converting dollar increases to a percentage of average county employee salary when needed.
• Section 2 amends Section 8(a)(22) to raise the contract approval threshold to $35,000, excluding employment contracts, and ties future increases to the national Consumer Price Index starting July 1, 2025.
• Section 3 sets the effective date of the Act as January 1, 2026.
• Section 4 repeals any conflicting laws.

1. 2025-05-13Effective Date 2026-01-01
2. 2025-05-13Act 167
3. 2025-05-13House Date Signed by Governor (Cámara de Representantes)
4. 2025-04-07House Sent to Governor (Cámara de Representantes)
5. 2025-03-31Senate Passed/Adopted (Senado)
6. 2025-03-31Senate Committee Favorably Reported (Senado)
7. 2025-03-25Senate Read and Referred (Senado)
8. 2025-03-21House Passed/Adopted (Cámara de Representantes)

• Tyler Smith (R, HD-018)Patrocinador principal
• Lynn Smith (R, HD-070)
• David Huddleston (R, HD-072)
• Jutt Howard (R, HD-071)

1. AprobadaVotación: Cámara de Representantes21 de marzo de 2025

   158 a favor, 0 en contra (9 sin votar, 13 ausentes)

   Local Calendar : House Vote #293

2. AprobadaVotación: Senado31 de marzo de 2025

   49 a favor, 0 en contra (5 sin votar, 2 ausentes)

   Local Consent Calendar: Senate Vote #339

• Carroll County government
• local government salaries
• county commissioner pay
• county contracts
• Georgia local legislation