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(a) Prior to the issuance of the call for the referendum required by Code Section 48-8-263, any county that desires to levy a tax under this part shall:
(1) Determine whether the region has proposed a referendum on a tax under Article 5 of this chapter. This determination shall be based on whether, pursuant to paragraphs (2) and (3) of subsection (c) of Code Section 48-8-245, a majority of the governing authorities of counties within the region containing the county proposing the tax have passed resolutions calling for the levy of a tax under Article 5 of this chapter. If a majority of the governing authorities of the counties in the region have passed such a resolution, the county proposing a tax under this part shall postpone the referendum under this part until the regional referendum has been decided. No ballot shall propose a tax under this part and under Article 5 of this chapter at the same election;
(2) After the determination under paragraph (1) of this subsection has been made, if a county is qualified to levy a tax under this part, deliver or mail a written notice to the mayor or chief elected official in each qualified municipality located within the special district. Such notice shall contain the date, time, place, and purpose of a meeting at which the governing authorities of the county and of each qualified municipality are to meet to discuss possible projects for inclusion in the referendum and the rate of tax. The notice shall be delivered or mailed at least ten days prior to the date of the meeting. The meeting shall be held at least 30 days prior to the issuance of the call for the referendum.
(b) (1) Following the meeting required by paragraph (2) of subsection (a) of this Code section and prior to any tax being imposed under this part, the county and all qualified municipalities therein may execute an intergovernmental agreement memorializing their agreement to the levy of a tax and the rate of such tax.
(2) If an intergovernmental agreement authorized by paragraph (1) of this subsection is entered into, it shall, at a minimum, include the following:
(A) A list of the projects and purposes qualifying as transportation purposes proposed to be funded from the tax, including an expenditure of at least 30 percent of the estimated revenue from the tax on projects consistent with the state-wide strategic transportation plan as defined in paragraph (6) of subsection (a) of Code Section 32-2-22;
(B) The estimated or projected dollar amounts allocated for each transportation purpose from proceeds from the tax;
(C) The procedures for distributing proceeds from the tax to qualified municipalities;
(D) A schedule for distributing proceeds from the tax to qualified municipalities which shall include the priority or order in which transportation purposes will be fully or partially funded;
(E) A provision that all transportation purposes included in the agreement shall be funded from proceeds from the tax except as otherwise agreed;
(F) A provision that proceeds from the tax shall be maintained in separate accounts and utilized exclusively for the specified purposes;
(G) Record-keeping and audit procedures necessary to carry out the purposes of this part; and
(H) Such other provisions as the county and qualified municipalities choose to address.
(c) (1) If an intergovernmental agreement is entered into by the county and all qualified municipalities, the rate of the tax may be up to 1 percent.
(2) If an intergovernmental agreement is not entered into by the county and all qualified municipalities, the maximum rate of the tax shall not exceed 0.75 percent and such rate shall be determined by the governing authority of the county.
(d) (1) As soon as practicable after the meeting between the governing authorities of the county and qualified municipalities and the execution of an intergovernmental agreement, if applicable, the governing authority of the county shall by a majority vote on a resolution offered for such purpose submit the list of transportation purposes and the question of whether the tax should be approved to electors of the special district in the next scheduled election and shall notify the county election superintendent within the special district by forwarding to the superintendent a copy of such resolution calling for the imposition of the tax. Such list, or a digest thereof, shall be available during regular business hours in the office of the county clerk.
(2) The resolution authorized by paragraph (1) of this subsection shall describe:
(A) The specific transportation purposes to be funded;
(B) The approximate cost of such transportation purposes, which shall be the maximum amount of net proceeds to be raised by the tax; provided, however, that, if an intergovernmental agreement has been entered into pursuant to subsection (b) of this Code section, the maximum amount of net proceeds to be raised shall correspond to the period of time the tax shall be imposed as set forth in subparagraph (C) of this paragraph; and
(C) The maximum period of time, to be stated in calendar years, for which the tax may be imposed and the rate thereof. The maximum period of time for the imposition of the tax shall not exceed five years. History. Code 1981, § 48-8-262, enacted by Ga. L. 2015, p. 236, § 7-5/HB 170; Ga. L. 2015, p. 1443, § 2/HB 106; Ga. L. 2016, p. 105, § 2-1/SB 369; Ga. L. 2017, p. 179, § 3/HB 134; Ga. L. 2017, p. 774, § 48/HB 323; Ga. L. 2022, p. 256, § 1/HB 934. The 2022 amendment, effective May 2, 2022, in subparagraph (d)(2)(B), deleted “also” following “shall” near the beginning, and added the proviso near the end. See Editor’s notes for applicability. Editor’s notes. Ga. L. 2022, p. 256, § 5/HB 934, not codified by the General Assembly, provides, in part, that this Act shall apply with respect to taxes imposed or to be imposed under resolutions or ordinances adopted on or after May 2, 2022.