The Georgia General Assembly convenes on Monday, January 13, 2020. As your initial Gold Dome update, this message includes important reminders, tips to staying connected with GMA during the legislative session and an overview of policies impacting municipal operations.
IN THIS UPDATE
Follow the hyperlinks below or scroll down for detailed information on legislative priorities.

Reports & Recommendations Issues at a Glance
  • Marketplace Facilitator: This legislation would close a loophole by requiring companies that facilitate internet sales by a third party to collect and remit state and local sales taxes.
  • Preemption of Local Government Building Design Standards: House Bill 302 and Senate Bill 172, which were held during the 2019 legislative session, would prohibit cities and counties from establishing residential "building design elements" for single and double-family dwellings. 
  • Title Ad Valorem Tax (TAVT): After House Bill 329 from the 2018 session took effect on July 1, 2019, many cities reported a decrease in TAVT revenues from 2018 to 2019. 
  • Short-term Rental Legislation: House Bill 523 seeks to preempt cities from regulating short-term rental properties.
SAVE THE DATE
Capitol Connection:
Legislative Networking Breakfast

Monday, January 27, 7:30 a.m.
 
Please personally invite your legislators to this breakfast at the Georgia Freight Depot (right next to the State Capitol). The Governor, Lieutenant Governor and Speaker of the House have been invited to attend. After breakfast, join us for Cities United Day at the Capitol. Last year, more than 200 city leaders attended these two events, making a strong statement to members of the Georgia General Assembly!
ADVOCACY IN ACTION
GMA staff works hard to make sure that Georgia’s cities are well represented at the Capitol.
  • Legislative Emails: Stay in touch with GMA, especially during the Legislative Session. Each week we will send out two emails: Session Notes and the Gold Dome Update.
  • Online Bill Tracking: Updated daily, this offering lists the bills GMA is following.
  • Plan Your Visit to the Capitol: Contact Charlotte Davis to schedule your visit!
  • Get Social: Follow and engage with our official social media accounts, where you’ll find regular updates and interactive posts.
    • Facebook & LinkedIn: Georgia Municipal Association
    • Twitter: @GaCities
    • Hashtags: #GaCities, #CitiesUnited, #GaPol
HOW-TO VIDEOS: Connecting to The Capitol 101

Through this informative video series, GMA shares tips to visiting the Gold Dome, meeting your legislators and more!
ISSUES AT A GLANCE
Marketplace Facilitator: House Bill 276 was a GMA priority in the 2019 session but stalled on Day 40 in the Senate. This legislation would close a loophole to require companies that facilitate internet sales by a third party to collect and remit state and local sales taxes. GMA worked in the interim to position this legislation for passage in early 2020. 
 
Title Ad Valorem Tax (TAVT): After House Bill 329 from the 2018 session took effect on July 1, 2019, many cities reported a decrease in TAVT revenues from 2018 to 2019. GMA has compiled data from over 200 cities for TAVT revenues from July-Dec 2018 and 2019 for comparison. In addition GMA also compared municipal revenues to those of counties and school systems to analyze traditional shares of the local revenues and how those shares have changed since the new law took effect. OUR FINDINGS: Cities lost roughly 7% of the local share between 2018 and 2019, while counties gained roughly 5% and schools gained roughly 2%. These findings indicate that the local distribution formula does not adequately reflect the municipal aggregate share.

Short-term Rental Legislation: Carried over from the last session, House Bill 523 seeks to preempt cities from regulating short-term rental properties. Georgia Trend featured a story related to GMA’s concerns about this preemption. We’ve been working on legislation to proactively affirm the powers of local governments to regulate these businesses and ensure that they are subject to all taxes and fees due from similar businesses, such as hotels and motels.
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