Butts County; appointment of county surveyor; provide
Summary
HB 738 is a local act affecting Butts County, Georgia. It abolishes the county’s elected office of county surveyor and replaces it with an appointed county surveyor selected by the county’s governing authority. The appointed surveyor serves a one-year term, and future successors are also appointed for one-year terms.
The bill also specifies that any appointed county surveyor must meet the qualifications already set out in state law for county surveyors under O.C.G.A. § 36-7-2. It takes effect upon gubernatorial approval or upon becoming law without such approval, and it repeals any conflicting laws. In practical terms, the measure changes how the county surveyor office is filled in Butts County, shifting the position from an elected local office to an appointed one while preserving the underlying qualification requirements.
Impact
HB 738 amends the local governance structure in Butts County by eliminating the elected county surveyor office and authorizing the county governing authority to appoint the surveyor instead. It does not create a new statewide office or broadly alter Georgia law, but it operates under state authorization for local changes to county surveyor offices and updates the county’s local legal framework to reflect the appointment process and one-year terms.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have been noncontroversial and broadly accepted. It passed the House 171-0 and the Senate 53-0, indicating unanimous support in both chambers. The absence of committee transcripts or recorded debate suggests little visible opposition or extended discussion.
Contention
No notable contention is evident in the available record. The only substantive policy choice is whether the county surveyor should remain an elected office or be appointed by the county governing authority, but the unanimous votes indicate that this change did not generate measurable disagreement among legislators. Any potential concern would likely relate to local control versus direct election, but no member objections are documented.