July 2024

ACCG News

Summer Policy Committee Meetings: Agenda Topics Now Available

Agenda topics for the summer policy committee meetings are now available. Topics of discussion range from truck weights to NextGeneration 911 and more. Join these meetings to engage in candid dialogue, address county needs and challenges, and collaborate with colleagues and subject matter experts on key issues to help shape ACCG's 2025 Policy Agenda.

Meeting topics are repeated in each location, so you only need to register for one set of meetings. County officials may register by contacting their county clerk or the county staff member in charge of ACCG event registration. If you are not a county official, please send an email to register@accg.org and request to be registered for the meeting(s) of your choice.

More details can be found here.

Save the Date: 2024 Legislative Leadership Conference

Mark your calendar for the 2024 Legislative Leadership Conference. This year's conference will take place October 9-11 at The Classic Center in Athens-Clarke County. By attending this conference, county officials will help shape ACCG's advocacy efforts by voting to approve the 2025 ACCG Policy Agenda, enrich their knowledge through Lifelong Learning Academy courses, explore relevant and timely topics during breakout sessions, and build meaningful connections with fellow county leaders.

Registration is set to open the week of July 22. Regularly monitor the ACCG website and your email as more information such as a draft agenda, the hotel room block, and the voting delegate process is released.

2025 ACCG Salary Guide Now Available

The "Computing County Official Salaries for 2025" guidebook is now available. ACCG publishes this guidebook annually to assist counties in calculating salaries (as of January 1, 2025) of certain county officials, as well as state officials who receive supplements to their salaries from the county.

ACCG Governmental Affairs Team Presents 2024 Legislative Service Awards

On Thursday, July 11, Martha Revelo and Dante Handel, Associate Directors of Governmental Affairs, presented Rep. Lee Hawkins and Sen. Shelly Echols with legislative service awards. Both legislators have been instrumental in the passage of House Bill (HB) 946, Single-County TSPLOST. HB 946 makes changes to the current TSPLOST law so that once a city or cities making up more than 50% of the municipal population sign the intergovernmental agreement, the tax may be levied up to the full 1% for six years. This was a legislative priority item for ACCG.

ACCG Takes HB 581 Discussion to Counties

ACCG Associate Director of Governmental Affairs Dante Handel visited Talbot and Habersham counties to discuss House Bill (HB) 581, the Property and Sales Tax Reform bill. During these visits, he provided insights into the notice of assessment, millage rate setting procedures, and the bill's potential impacts. HB 581 changes several ad valorem tax provisions and introduces a new local sales tax aimed at property tax relief. For a summary of HB 581, click here.  

Talbot County Town Hall facilitated on June 25 by State Rep. Debbie Buckner. 

Habersham County HC3 meeting on June 26 with county, city, and school officials.

ACCG Participates in Annual Meeting with Georgia Sheriffs Association

On Tuesday, July 9, 2024, ACCG continued its summer tradition of meeting with the Georgia Sheriffs’ Association to discuss legislative issues of mutual interest to both organizations, as well as opportunities for collaboration. These meetings have proven invaluable in fostering a strong relationship between ACCG and the Georgia Sheriffs’ Association. Topics of importance to counties and their local law enforcement such as mental health issues in county jails, data and cost of county jail inmates, accountability courts, hiring and retention of law enforcement officers, and Next-Generation 911 were discussed, among others.

ACCG Governmental Affairs Team Making Connections Around the State

The ACCG Governmental Affairs Team has been traveling across the state to meet with legislators and staff to discuss legislative issues. During one of the visits, members of the ACCG Governmental Affairs Team, Todd Edwards and Dante Handel, met with Terry England who is the Chief of Staff for House Speaker Jon Burns.

They discussed topics of importance to Georgia counties leading up to ACCG’s 2025 policy development process as well as issues that may be of importance to legislators next legislative session. The team also connected with Senator-elect Drew Echols, who is running unopposed in the 2024 general election for the 49^th District of the Georgia State Senate. He was visited by team members Gabe Carter and Todd Edwards in Hall County.

The entire Governmental Affairs Team met with Representative-elect Robert Flournoy Jr. from Clayton County. Rep. Flournoy Jr. is running unopposed in the 2024 general election for Georgia House District 74.

ACCG and GMA Present Legislative Update to APWA

On Wednesday, July 10, ACCG’s Director of Governmental Affairs Todd Edwards and GMA Governmental Relations Associate Noah Roenitz  presented a 2024 legislative update to the American Public Works Association (APWA) Georgia Chapter at their annual conference on Jekyll Island. Among the issues covered were bills impacting city and county public works, zoning, land use, building permitting, transportation, and water and sewer services. Todd also solicited their members’ feedback on any statutory changes they would like to pursue next legislative session.  

Click here for the joint ACCG/GMA presentation to APWA. 

ACCG Launches Mental Health and Substance Abuse Committee Webpage

ACCG recently launched the new mental health webpage. The association’s Standing Committee on Mental Health and Substance Abuse, with support from the ACCG staff, collaborated to produce a dedicated webpage containing the list of best practices. The webpage also includes a brief overview of recent mental health legislative efforts; federal, state, and community resources; and examples of how counties have implemented impactful policies and practices to address the mental health crisis in their communities.  

The ACCG Standing Committee on Mental Health and Substance Abuse was established in 2023 by ACCG Immediate Past President and Baldwin County Commissioner Henry Craig. He appointed Forsyth County Commissioner Cindy Mills to serve as chair of the committee and tasked its members with generating a list of best practices that counties can adopt to improve the mental health services in their communities.

To visit the website, click here. 

State News

Governor Announces Rural Workforce Housing Grants

Five Georgia communities received grants under the Rural Workforce Housing Initiative. More than $10.3 million in infrastructure development was awarded to help support nearly 312 housing units across the five communities. Since its inception, the Rural Workforce Housing Initiative has helped spur the development of critically needed workforce housing in communities across the state. 

Click here to view the official press release.

$16.9 Million in Transportation Infrastructure Grants Approved

Gov. Kemp and the State Road and Tollway Authority (SRTA) Board of Directors recently announced the approval of $16.9 million in Georgia Transportation Infrastructure Bank (GTIB) loans and grants that will help fund five transportation infrastructure projects in the state. This round of funding includes the fourth largest loan amount allocated in the program’s history. Among the five recipients is Peach County, which received $6.6 million, the largest amount of funding in GTIB's history. This funding underscores the state's efforts to prioritize investment in rural communities.

More information on the approved projects can be found here.

Department of Public Health Training Material on SB 395 (Opioid Antagonist)

Senate Bill 395, which became effective July 1, 2024, requires counties to provide opioid antagonists in courthouses and other buildings in which the local governing authority meets and where there is an automated external defibrillator. The Department of Public Health has created material to provide guidance on training requirements and administration of opioid antagonist.

Click to access the guidance document and video. 

GDOT Releases AAM Community Guidebook

The Georgia Department of Transportation completed and released the Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) Study. ACCG, alongside other stakeholders, attended the AAM Working Group to collaborate on the implementation of AAM in the state of Georgia.

Click here to view the GDOT AAM Community Guidebook.

Georgia River Network Local Water Recreation Survey

The Georgia River Network is seeking input from county governments on the public use of local rivers and streams and public investments in water recreation access and amenities. Complete a brief survey to help the Georgia River Network share the extent of water recreation on Georgia's waterways and its importance to local communities. The data collected will aid a special House study committee on navigable streams when developing recommendations about which streams and rivers in Georgia should be open and accessible to the public.

Click here to access the local water recreation survey

Federal News

NACo’s Supreme Court Advocacy Hub

There are several recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions that are of interest to counties. The National Association of Counties (NACo) is sharing the county perspective on key cases through their Supreme Court Advocacy Hub.

Click here to gain access to analyses on recent rulings and to learn how the decisions may impact your county. 

Counites Eligible to Provide Feeback to FEMA on Public Assistance Program and Policies

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) coordinates within the federal government and with state and local governments to provide public assistance and disaster relief. FEMA is currently inviting county leaders to provide feedback on the newly updated Public Assistance Program and Policy Guide.

To learn more about how you can submit feedback, click here.

Sen. Warnock Signs Letter of Support for NextGen 911

Sen. Warnock pledges his support for NextGen 911 and supporting legislation such as S. 4207, the Spectrum and National Security Act of 2024, that would improve the implementation of the new system. ACCG thanks Sen. Warnock for supporting efforts that will help ensure the public safety of all Georgians.

Click here to read the letter.

Supreme Court Protects Key Flexibility for County Governments Responding to Homelessness

The 6-3 ruling in Grants Pass v. Johnson recognizes the importance of local control in the response to the complex problem of homelessness. The decision holds that anti-encampment ordinances do not violate the Eighth Amendment's prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment.

Click here to learn more about the ruling.

Norfolk Southern Grant Programs Available for Local Governments

Norfolk Southern is currently accepting applications for its two grant programs, the Safety First Grant and Thriving Communities Grant. Both grant programs are designed to support entities that promote safe and sustainable operations, develop the local work force, and build strong, resilient communities. Applications for both programs will be accepted until Tuesday, October 1.

Click here to learn more about each grant program and to see if your community is eligible for funding.

OSHA Proposes Major Changes to Regulations for Emergency Responders 

Emergency response workers in the U.S. face significant occupational health and safety hazards in unpredictable work environments. Current Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) emergency response and preparedness standards are outdated and do not address the full range of risks facing emergency responders, in addition to not aligning with current practices in today’s emergency climate. To address these changes, OSHA has prepared a new rule to ensure better protections for emergency responders. The proposed rule aims to replace the existing Fire Brigades standard from 1980, which only covers a subset of emergency responders. The new rule would expand protections to include workers providing medical services and technical search and rescue. OSHA is inviting public comments on the proposed rule until July 22, 2024. Click here to make comments.

More information on OSHA's rulemaking process can be found here.

Please contact Martha Revelo (mrevelo@accg.org) for any additional comments or questions.

EPA 2024 Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles Program

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is currently accepting applications for the Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles Program. The EPA anticipates awarding up to $932 million in competitive grant funding to replace existing non-zero-emission Class 6 and 7 heavy-duty vehicles with zero-emission Class 6 and 7 heavy-duty vehicles. All application packages must be submitted electronically through Grants.gov by Wednesday, July 25.

More details on the Clean Heavy Duty Vehicles Program can be found here.

ACCG News

News You Can Use - Articles Related to ACCG Policy Issues

Articles covering some of ACCG's major policy issues are found here. Click the hyperlinked title to begin reading.

Georgia First in the Nation to Require Police Training in Election Law

Governing- July 11, 2024

Corporate Landlords Put Pressure on Rents in Key Markets

Governing- July 10, 2024

Liberty County Commission takes control of funds from speed-camera violations

The Current - July 8,2024

General Assembly expected to revisit coroner pay

Capitol Beat - June 7, 2024

ACCG is YOUR county association. We are here to advance all 159 Georgia county governments. Please feel free to contact a member of the Governmental Affairs Team if they can assist in any way.