County Surveyor Changed from Elected to Appointed by House Bill 823

Earlier this month, on April 11, 2012, House Bill 823 was signed into law by Georgia Governor Nathan Deal changing the position of Henry County Surveyor from an elected position to an appointed position. It was introduced before the 2012 Georgia General Assembly in January.

In January, the Henry County Board of Commissioners approved a resolution supporting the enactment of local legislation to change the position of County Surveyor from an elected position to an appointed position. Originally an elected position, the County Surveyor is an unpaid, four-year term of office required by the state; however, Georgia law authorizes local governments to abolish the elective positions of county surveyors in favor of an appointed position, through the passage of local legislation.

According to Janet Shellnutt, Henry County’s Director of Elections, having the position on the ballot was costly and unnecessary. It was also costly for the candidates who were required to pay qualifying fees, set by Commissioners, although the position does not have a salary.

Shellnutt said that most counties in the state have moved away from the county surveyor as an elected position, and out of 159 counties in the state, only ten still had an elected surveyor, as of January 2012.

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