Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

House Bill 766 is a bill that would create a commission tasked with forming a county-wide government. The Bill is sponsored by Representative Mike Cheokas. The bill states that it would, “provide authorization for the commission to study all matters relating to the governments of the county and the municipalities in the county to establish a single county-wide government.” It would also enable the commission to create a charter, hold an election for the charter, and also allow the commission to certify the election results. The bill has already passed the House in the Georgia legislature.

While Americus and Sumter are included in the Bill, the other cities have the option to join the Commission, though not as voting members. However, cities that joined the Commission would put the decision to join the county-wide government to the vote with their residents, which would pass if more than half agreed.

The Americus-Sumter unification commission will have six members, the Chair of the Board of Commissioners, the Mayor of Americus, the Chair of One Sumter, the President of the Americus-Sumter Payroll Development Authority, and two at-large members of the business community appointed by the governing authority of Sumter County.