There are numerous population acts on the books in Georgia – one or more of which may be applicable to your county.  Population acts are general laws of local application that were designed, using population brackets or thresholds, to apply to one or a limited number of counties, cities, school districts, judicial circuits or other local jurisdictions.

Since a population act uses census numbers to determine which jurisdiction or jurisdictions are subject to the act’s provisions, it is critical that county attorneys examine applicable population acts relative to the 2010 census numbers.  Keep in mind that the effect on the county of moving into or out of a particular population category can range from very helpful to very damaging.

In most cases, the effective date for the applicability of the 2010 census to Georgia statutes is July 1, 2012.  Therefore, if your county needs to amend or repeal an existing population act, please contact your legislative delegation as soon as possible to get a proper general bill drafted, introduced and passed during the 2012 legislative session.

Additional Resources:

ACCG Memorandum to County Attorneys

Georgia Population Acts /2011 Edition – Prepared by the Office of Legislative Counsel, this publication is a compilation of all population acts by county/city/judicial circuit.

2010 Census Population by County