Section 48-8-89. Distribution and use of proceeds; certificate specifying percentage of proceeds for each political subdivision; determination of proceeds for absent municipalities; procedure for filing certificates; effect of failure to file; renegotiation of certificate.

   (a) The proceeds of the tax collected by the commissioner in each special district under this article shall be disbursed as soon as practicable after collection as follows:

   (1) One percent of the amount collected shall be paid into the general fund of the state treasury in order to defray the costs of administration;

   (2) Except for the percentage provided in paragraph (1) of this subsection, the remaining proceeds of the tax shall be distributed to the governing authority of each qualified municipality within the special district and to the governing authority of the county whose geographical boundary is conterminous with that of the special district for the purpose of assisting such political subdivisions in funding all or any portion of those services which are to be provided by such governing authorities pursuant to and in accordance with Article IX, Section II, Paragraph III of the Constitution of this state.

(b) It is the intent of the General Assembly that no agreement as to the distribution of the proceeds of the tax shall enrich any political subdivision beyond a sum which in the absence of the distribution would be raised through other sources of revenue. The distribution shall be in accordance with a certificate which shall be executed in behalf of each respective governing authority, except as otherwise provided in this subsection, and which shall encompass all respective political subdivisions, shall be filed with the commissioner, and shall specify by percentage that portion of the remaining proceeds of the tax available for distribution which each such political subdivision shall receive. On or after July 1, 1995, the distribution of proceeds of the tax as specified in the certificate shall be based upon, but not be limited to, the following criteria:

   (1) The service delivery responsibilities of each political subdivision to the population served by the political jurisdiction and served during normal business hours, conventions, trade shows, athletic events and the inherent value to a community of a central business district and the unincorporated areas of the county and the obligation of all residents of the county for the maintenance and prosperity of the central business district and the unincorporated areas of the county;

   (2) The service delivery responsibilities of each political subdivision to the resident population of the subdivision;

   (3) The existing service delivery responsibility of each political subdivision;

   (4) The effect of a change in sales tax distribution on the ability of each political subdivision to meet its short-term and long-term debt;

   (5) The point of sale and use which generates the tax to be apportioned;

   (6) The existence of intergovernmental agreements among and between the political subdivisions;

   (7) The use by any political subdivision of property taxes and other revenues from some taxpayers to subsidize the cost of services provided to other taxpayers of the levying subdivision; and

   (8) Any coordinated plan of county and municipal service delivery and financing.

Notwithstanding the fact that a certificate shall not contain an execution in behalf of one or more qualified municipalities within the special district, if the combined total of the populations of all such absent municipalities is less than one-half of the aggregate population of all qualified municipalities located within the special district, the submitting political subdivisions shall, in behalf of the absent municipalities, specify a percentage of that portion of the remaining proceeds which each such municipality shall receive, which percentage shall not be less than that proportion which each absent municipality's population bears to the total population of all qualified municipalities within the special district multiplied by that portion of the remaining proceeds which are received by all qualified municipalities within the special district. For the purpose of determining the population of the absent municipalities, only that portion of the population of each such municipality which is located within the special district shall be computed. No certificate may contain a total of specified percentages in excess of 100 percent. The certificate shall be filed with the commissioner by March 1, 1980, for those special districts in which the tax authorized by this article is being levied on January 1, 1980. For all other special districts in which the tax shall be imposed subsequent to January 1, 1980, the certificate shall be filed with the commissioner within 60 days after the tax is imposed within the district. The commissioner shall continue to distribute the proceeds of the tax as otherwise provided in this Code section until the first day of the next calendar year following the month in which the commissioner receives a certificate as provided in this Code section, which certificate shall provide other percentages upon which the commissioner shall make the distribution to the political subdivisions entitled to the proceeds of the tax. At such time, the commissioner shall thereafter distribute the proceeds of the tax in accordance with the directions of the certificate.

(c) If the certificate provided for in subsection (b) of this Code section is not received by the commissioner by the required date, the authority to impose the tax authorized by Code Section 48-8-82 shall cease on the first day of the second calendar month following the month in which the tax was initially imposed and the tax shall not be levied in the special district after such date unless the reimposition of the tax is subsequently authorized pursuant to Code Section 48-8-85. When the imposition of the tax is so terminated, the commissioner shall retain the proceeds of the tax which were to be distributed to the governing authorities of the county and qualified municipalities within the special district until he receives a certificate in behalf of each such governing authority specifying the percentage of the proceeds which each such governing authority shall receive. If no such certificate is received by the commissioner within 120 days of the date on which the authority to levy the tax was terminated, the proceeds shall escheat to the state and the commissioner shall transfer the proceeds to the state's general fund.

(d) (1) A certificate providing for the distribution of the proceeds of the tax authorized by this article shall expire on December 31 of the second year following the year in which the decennial census is conducted. No later than December 30 of the second year following the year in which the census is conducted, a new distribution certificate meeting the requirements for certificates specified by subsection (b) of this Code section shall be filed with and received by the commissioner. The General Assembly recognizes that the requirement for government services is not always in direct correlation with population. Although a new distribution certificate is required within a time certain of the decennial census, this requirement is not meant to convey an intent by the General Assembly that population as a criterion should be more heavily weighted than other criteria. It is the express intent of the General Assembly in requiring such renegotiation that eligible political subdivisions shall analyze local service delivery responsibilities and the existing allocation of proceeds made available to such governments under the provisions of this article and make rational the allocation of such resources to meet such service delivery responsibilities. Political subdivisions in their renegotiation of such distributions shall at a minimum consider the criteria specified in subsection (b) of this Code section.

   (2) The commissioner shall be notified in writing of the commencement of renegotiation proceedings by the county governing authority on behalf of all eligible political subdivisions within the special district. The eligible political subdivisions shall commence renegotiations at the call of the county governing authority before July 1 of the second year following the year in which the census is conducted. If the county governing authority does not issue the call by that date, any eligible municipality may issue the call and so notify the commissioner and all eligible political subdivisions within the special district.

   (3) Following the commencement of such renegotiation, if the parties necessary to an agreement fail to reach an agreement within 60 days, such parties shall submit the dispute to nonbinding arbitration, mediation, or such other means of resolving conflicts in a manner which attempts to reach a resolution of the dispute. Any renegotiation agreement reached pursuant to this paragraph shall be in accordance with the requirements specified in paragraph (1) of this subsection.

   (4) (A) If the parties necessary to an agreement fail to reach an agreement within 60 days of submitting the dispute to nonbinding arbitration, mediation, or such other means of resolving conflicts, as required by paragraph (3) of this subsection, any of such parties may file a petition in superior court of the county seeking resolution of the items remaining in dispute. Such petition shall be filed no later than 30 days after the last day of the 60 day alternative dispute resolution period required by paragraph (3) of this subsection. Such petition shall be assigned to a judge pursuant to Code Section 15-1-9.1 or 15-6-13 who is not a judge in the circuit in which the county is located. The judge selected may also be a senior judge pursuant to Code Section 15-1-9.2 who resides in another circuit.

      (B) Following the filing of the petition as specified under subparagraph (A) of this paragraph, the county and qualified municipalities representing at least one-half of the aggregate municipal population of all qualified municipalities located wholly or partially within the special district shall separately submit to the judge and the other parties a written best and final offer specifying the distribution of the tax proceeds. There shall be one such offer from the county and one such offer from qualified municipalities representing at least one-half of the aggregate municipal population of all qualified municipalities located wholly or partially within the special district. The offer from the county may be an offer representing the county and any qualified municipalities that are not represented in the offer from the qualified municipalities representing at least one-half of the aggregate municipal population of all qualified municipalities located wholly or partially within the special district.

      (C) Any qualified municipality or municipalities located wholly or partially within the special district who are not a party to an offer under subparagraph (B) of this paragraph, and who represent at least one-half of the aggregate municipal population of all qualified municipalities who are not a party to an offer under subparagraph (B) of this paragraph, shall be authorized to separately submit to the judge and the other parties a written best and final offer specifying the distribution of the tax proceeds. There shall be one such offer from such qualified municipality or municipalities.

      (D) Each offer under subparagraphs (B) and (C) of this paragraph shall take into account the allocation required for any absent municipalities in accordance with subsection (b) of this Code section. The judge shall conduct such hearings as the judge deems necessary and shall render a decision based on the requirements and intent of paragraph (1) of this subsection and the criteria in subsection (b) of this Code section. The judge's decision shall adopt the best and final offer of one of the parties submitted under subparagraphs (B) and (C) of this paragraph specifying the allocation of the tax proceeds and shall also include findings of fact. The judge shall enter a final order containing a new distribution certificate and transmit a copy of it to the commissioner.

      (E) A final order entered under subparagraph (D) of this paragraph shall be subject to appeal by application upon one or more of the following grounds:

         (i) The judge's disregard of the law;

         (ii) Partiality of the judge; or

         (iii) Corruption, fraud, or misconduct by the judge or a party.

      (F) During the process set forth in this paragraph, the commissioner shall continue to distribute the sales tax proceeds according to the percentages specified in the most recently filed distribution certificate or in accordance with subsection (f) of Code Section 48-8-89.1, as applicable, until a new distribution certificate is properly filed.

   (5) If a new distribution certificate as provided for in this Code section is not received by the commissioner, the authority to impose the tax authorized by Code Section 48-8-82 shall cease, and the tax shall not be levied in the special district after such date unless the reimposition of the tax is subsequently authorized pursuant to Code Section 48-8-85. When the imposition of the tax is so terminated, the commissioner shall retain the proceeds of the tax which were to be distributed to the governing authorities of the county and qualified municipalities within the special district until the commissioner receives a certificate on behalf of each such governing authority specifying the percentage of the proceeds which each such governing authority shall receive. If no such certificate is received by the commissioner within 120 days of the date on which the authority to levy the tax was terminated, the proceeds shall escheat to the state, and the commissioner shall transfer the proceeds to the state's general fund.

   (6) If the commissioner receives a new distribution certificate by the required date, the commissioner shall distribute the proceeds of the tax in accordance with the directions of the new distribution certificate commencing on January 1 of the year immediately following the year in which such certificate was executed by the parties or the judge or the first day of the second calendar month following the month such certificate was executed by the parties or the judge, whichever is sooner.

   (7) Costs of any conflict resolution under paragraph (3) or (4) of this subsection shall be borne proportionately by the affected political subdivisions in accordance with the final percentage distributions of the proceeds of the tax as reflected by the new distribution certificate.

   (8) Political subdivisions shall be authorized, at their option, to renegotiate distribution certificates on a more frequent basis than is otherwise required under this subsection.

   (9) No provision of this subsection shall apply to any county which is authorized to levy or which levies a local sales tax, local use tax, or local sales and use tax for educational purposes pursuant to a local constitutional amendment or to any county which is authorized to expend all or any portion of the proceeds of any sales tax, use tax, or sales and use tax for educational purposes pursuant to a local constitutional amendment.

Ga. L. 1975, p. 984, § 2; Ga. L. 1976, p. 1019, § 2; Code 1933, § 91A-4606, enacted by Ga. L. 1978, p. 309, § 2; Ga. L. 1979, p. 446, § 1; Code 1933, § 91A-4608, enacted by Ga. L. 1979, p. 446, § 2; Ga. L. 1983, p. 3, § 64; Ga. L. 1994, p. 1816, §§ 1, 2; Ga. L. 2010, p. 958, § 1/HB 991.