Section 36-40-22. Certificate of eligibility for grant generally; submission; form; execution and attestation; penalty for signing false certificate

   (a) Each municipal corporation, as defined in Code Section 36-40-21, shall submit to the Office of the State Treasurer a certificate showing the number of regular meetings held within the preceding 12 months by the governing body of the municipal corporation and stating that ad valorem taxes on real property were levied and collected in such municipal corporation within the 12 months preceding such certificate or stating that the municipal corporation performed at least two of the activities and services enumerated in Code Section 36-40-21.

(b) Such certificate shall be substantially in the following form:
 
 
                                  CERTIFICATE                                  

      "The undersigned, Mayor (Chairman of the Commission) of (Official 
   Corporate Name), does hereby certify that      regular meetings of the 
   governing body were held during the past 12 months and that ad valorem 
   taxes were levied and collected during the past 12 months for the operation 
   of the government of (Official Corporate Name) or that the municipal 
   corporation performed the following two services:
                                                                             and
                                                                               .
   The municipal treasurer or other official or officials authorized to 
   receive municipal funds is (are)
                                  .
                                                                                                
   Date                         Mayor (Chairman of Commission)
   Attest:
                
   Clerk"

(c) Such certificate shall be executed by the highest elective official, whether designated as mayor or by some other term (or as chairman of the commission in those municipal corporations having a commission form of government), and shall be attested by the clerk. The name of the municipal corporation used in the certificate shall be its official corporate name. The name of the municipal treasurer or other official or officials authorized to receive municipal funds shall be listed in the certificate and the instrument transferring funds to the municipal corporation shall be payable to such treasurer or other official or officials as listed in the certificate.

(d) The information contained in the certificate shall constitute the basis upon which the Office of the State Treasurer shall make the distribution of funds under this article.

(e) Any person willfully and knowingly signing a certificate containing false information shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.

Ga. L. 1967, p. 889, § 4; Ga. L. 1993, p. 1402, § 18; Ga. L. 2010, p. 863, § 2/SB 296.