Section 50-8-33. Municipal and county membership; annual dues; distribution of state funds

   (a) Each municipality and county in the state shall automatically be a member of the regional commission for the region which includes the municipality or county, as the case may be.

(b) (1) Each county and municipality in the state shall pay the annual dues for membership in its regional commission. Each county and the municipalities within such county shall continue to use the arrangement for the payment of dues which was in effect on June 30, 2009, for the payment of dues to the regional development centers which preceded the regional commissions created by this article until a revised arrangement for the amount, apportionment, and payment of annual dues is established by the county and the municipalities within such county. If an arrangement for the payment of such dues is structured so that a county pays dues only on behalf of residents of the unincorporated areas of the county, then the annual dues paid by such county shall come solely from revenues derived from the unincorporated areas of the county.

   (2) State funds appropriated to the department and available for the purpose of assisting regional commissions shall be distributed in accordance with this paragraph. The department shall establish a minimum funding amount for regional commissions, conditioned upon the amount of state funds appropriated, and a supplemental funding formula to be used for the distribution of available state funds in excess of the minimum funding amount. While each regional commission must assess and collect annual dues in the amount of 25 cent(s) for each resident of each county within the regional commission, based upon the most recent estimate of population approved by the department for this purpose, to be eligible for any minimum funding from state appropriated funds, each regional commission must assess and collect annual dues in the aggregate averaging a minimum amount of $1.00 for each resident of each county within the regional commission, based upon the most recent estimate of population approved by the department for this purpose. To be eligible for any supplemental funding, each regional commission shall apply to the department in a manner established by the department to determine eligibility for funds distributed pursuant to the supplemental funding formula.

   (3) The initial supplemental funding formula established by the department to be used for the distribution of available state funds in excess of the minimum funding amount shall be promulgated by the department in accordance with the procedures of Code Section 50-8-7.2.

Code 1981, § 50-8-33, enacted by Ga. L. 2008, p. 181, § 5/HB 1216.