Georgia 2025 2025-2026 Regular Session

Georgia House Bill HB587 Enrolled / Bill

Filed 03/26/2025

                    25 LC 62 0109/AP
House Bill 587 (AS PASSED HOUSE AND SENATE)
By: Representatives Gambill of the 15
th
 and Scoggins of the 14
th
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend an Act to reincorporate the City of Cartersville in the County of Bartow, approved
1
March 28, 1974 (Ga. L. 1974, p. 3697), as amended, so as to provide for a finance director;2
to remove the duties of an ex officio treasurer from the city clerk; to authorize the Municipal3
Court of the City of Cartersville to charge a technology fee; to identify the authorized uses4
of such technology fee; to provide for the termination of such technology fee; to provide for5
related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.6
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:7
SECTION 1.8
An Act to reincorporate the City of Cartersville in the County of Bartow, approved9
March 28, 1974 (Ga. L. 1974, p. 3697), as amended, is amended by revising Section 3.08 as10
follows:11
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"SECTION 3.08.
12
City clerk.13
(a)  The mayor and council shall appoint a city clerk.  He or she shall be responsible for14
keeping and preserving the city seal and all records of council, attending meetings of the15
council and keeping a journal of its proceedings at such meetings, including the names of16
members present and absent, the vote of each member on each question, each motion17
considered, a proper index of such proceedings, and the title of each resolution or18
ordinance considered; preparing and certifying copies of official records in his or her19
office, for which fees may be prescribed by ordinance; and performing such other duties20
as may be required by the city council.21
(b)  The city council shall require the clerk, before entering upon the discharge of his or her22
duties, to give a good and sufficient bond in an amount to be decided by the city council,23
but not less than $100,000.00, said bond payable to the City of Cartersville, for the faithful24
performance of his or her duties and to secure against corruption, malfeasance,25
misappropriations, or unlawful expenditures.  Said surety bond shall be obtained from a26
surety company licensed to do business in the State of Georgia, City of Cartersville, and27
the premium thereon shall be paid by the city.28
(c)  The city council shall also appoint a deputy city clerk, who shall discharge the duties29
of the city clerk in his or her absence, and shall have other such duties as may be30
designated by the city council."31
SECTION 2.32
Said Act is further amended by adding a new section to read as follows:33
H. B. 587
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"SECTION 3.13.
34
Finance director.35
The mayor and city council shall approve the appointment of the finance director in the36
same manner as for all other city department heads.  The finance director shall be the ex37
officio treasurer and shall also keep a true and accurate account of the receipts and38
expenditures of the city.  The city council shall require the finance director, before entering39
upon the discharge of his or her duties, to give a good and sufficient bond in an amount to40
be decided by the city council, but not less than $100,000.00, said bond payable to the City41
of Cartersville, for the faithful performance of his or her duties and to secure against42
corruption, malfeasance, misappropriations, or unlawful expenditures.  Said surety bond43
shall be obtained from a surety company licensed to do business in the State of Georgia,44
City of Cartersville, and the premium thereon shall be paid by the city."45
SECTION 3.46
Said Act is further amended by adding a new section to read as follows:47
"SECTION 6.08.48
Technology fee.49
(a)  The clerk of the Municipal Court of the City of Cartersville is hereby authorized to50
charge and collect a technology fee as a surcharge to each criminal and quasi-criminal fine51
paid.  The technology fee shall be set by order of the judge of the court, provided that the52
fee shall not exceed $20.00.53
(b)  The fee authorized by subsection (a) of this section shall be used exclusively to provide54
for the following technological needs of the court and the city's police department:55
H. B. 587
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(1) The purchase, lease, maintenance, and installation of computer hardware and
56
software;57
(2)  The purchase, lease, maintenance, and installation of equipment and software used58
for imaging, scanning, facsimile, communications, projections, and printing; and59
(3)  The purchase of body-worn cameras.60
(c)  All funds collected pursuant to this Act shall be maintained in a segregated account by61
the chief financial officer of the city and clerk of court, separate from other funds of the62
city, and shall be expended only for the authorized purposes provided in this section upon63
direction of the city manager.  The funds may be used to reimburse the city's information64
technology department for services provided to the court or police department.65
(d)  The authorization in subsection (a) of this Act to charge and collect a technology fee66
shall expire on July 1, 2030, unless prior to such date the governing authority of the City67
of Cartersville enacts an ordinance renewing such authorization for a further five-year68
period.  The governing authority of the City of Cartersville may further renew such69
authorization for subsequent five-year periods through the adoption of subsequent70
ordinances."71
SECTION 4.72
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.73
H. B. 587
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