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HB 1241

Decatur, City of; city commission and public school system; revise provisions

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Omari Crawford and 1 co-sponsor

Revises Decatur’s City Commission structure and elections to four commissioners plus a mayor elected in two districts, with four-year terms and nonpartisan, district-based races.

Effective Date
0
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Bill Summary · HB 1241

Overview

HB 1241 (SUB) from the Georgia 2025-26 session proposes a charter revision for the City of Decatur, updating Article III (City Commission) of Decatur’s 2001 charter amendments and related provisions. The bill revises the structure, qualifications, terms, powers, and procedures of the city’s elected officials and city governance, and it repeals conflicting laws.

Main purpose and intent

  • To revise and reorganize the City Commission framework in Decatur, including the number and election of commissioners and the mayor, district boundaries, term lengths, and related governance mechanics.
  • To establish clear rules for qualifications, elections, compensation, ethics, meetings, and oversight of administration.
  • To ensure alignment with broader state law and constitutional principles (e.g., one person, one vote) and to provide processes for vacancies, removals, and ethics oversight.

Key provisions and changes

  • City government structure:
    • The City Commission will be composed of four city commissioners and a mayor.
    • Commissioners and the mayor are elected by plurality in their respective districts, with districts defined under the charter plan titled “Plan: DecaturCity2022.”
  • Elections and districts:
    • The city is divided into two election districts, each with Post A and Post B for commissioners; the mayor is elected from the two districts’ configuration (overall city-wide election district).
    • The charter includes a decennial reevaluation to maintain compliance with “one person, one vote.”
    • Regular city elections are held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November of odd-numbered years; party primaries are prohibited for city offices.
    • Specified staggered terms: initial terms to be set beginning in the early 2000s, with mayoral term commencing in 2027 and lasting four years; subsequent terms are four years.
  • Qualifications and residency:
    • Commission and mayoral candidates must reside in the city and, for district commissioners, within the district; they must be qualified voters and meet moral turpitude-related provisions.
    • Restrictions on holding multiple public offices during a term; waivers possible via ethics committee.
  • Compensation and expenses:
    • Mayor and commissioners receive compensation and expenses as set by city ordinance, in line with state law.
  • Mayor’s powers and duties:
    • The mayor is the head for ceremonial purposes and a voting member of the commission, but has no veto power.
    • The mayor chairs meetings, can convene in extra sessions, and represents the city intergovernmentally.
    • The mayor (and the city) may present a state of the city address.
  • Meetings and records:
    • Public meetings with rules for notices, including special meetings, and a requirement to publish meeting journals and notices on the city website.
    • Quorum and roll-call voting rules; protections for remaining members if vacancies occur.
  • Governance and administration:
    • The city commission can appoint committees, boards, and authorities; terms, compensation, and removal procedures for such bodies are outlined.
    • A planning commission may be created; acts are advisory.
  • Ethics:
    • Establishment of an ethics committee to oversee、公 ethics standards for public office.
  • Vacancies and removals:
    • Procedures for vacancies, suspensions, and removals of mayor/commissioners, including potential removal by commission vote after an investigation or by superior court order.

Who is affected

  • Elected officials: mayor and four city commissioners (and their alternates/posts) with specified eligibility, residency, and term requirements.
  • City government operations: governance structure, meeting procedures, committees, and ethics oversight.
  • Voters in Decatur: changes to district-based elections, terms, and nonpartisan (no primary) election process.
  • City employees and boards: appointment, removal, and operation protocols for boards, commissions, and authorities.

Procedural and timeline notes

  • The charter envisions staggered terms beginning in the early 2000s, with a major realignment for mayoral elections in 2027 and ongoing four-year terms thereafter.
  • Regular city elections occur in odd-numbered years; runoffs apply if tied, per general law.
  • The act repeals conflicting laws upon passage; it becomes effective after enactment, subject to any transition provisions in the bill.

If you’d like, I can extract a side-by-side comparison with the current Decatur charter or draft a plain-language explainer for residents.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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