Department
Finance
Requested Action (Identify appropriate Action or Motion, purpose, cost, timeframe, etc.)
title
Discussion of implications of House Bill 85 “Superior Court Judicial Compensation Reform Act” (DISCUSSED)
body
Requirement for Board Action (Cite specific Board policy, statute or code requirement)
Discussion and guidance for implementation of House Bill 85
Strategic Priority Area related to this item (If yes, note strategic priority area below)
Open and Responsible Government
Commission Districts Affected
All Districts ☒
District 1 ☐
District 2 ☐
District 3 ☐
District 4 ☐
District 5 ☐
District 6 ☐
Is this a purchasing item?
No
Summary & Background (First sentence includes Agency recommendation. Provide an executive summary of the action that gives an overview of the relevant details for the item.)
Scope of Work: State of Georgia HB 85, recently signed into law effective July 1, 2025, introduces comprehensive reforms to superior court judicial compensation in Georgia, effective July 1, 2025. The legislation provides superior court judges currently in office with an optional, irrevocable choice to receive a new compensation structure consisting of a state-set base salary and optional locality pay from counties, with a cap of 10% of the state annual salary. Judges who do not opt into the new system will continue to receive compensation as they did before July 1, 2025. The bill abolishes most county salary supplements for judges, though chief judges may continue to receive local supplements, and counties can still provide fringe benefits. The bill also suspends local laws that automatically adjust other government officials' salaries based on judicial salaries, preventing automatic increases and potential financial hardship for local governments. The legislation aims to create a more standardized and flexible compensation system for superior court judges while protecting existing judicial compensation arrangements and preventing unintended financial impacts on local governments. A powerpoint presentation is outlining summary provisions to foster discussion and options for the Board of Commissioners to consider.
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Fiscal Impact / Funding Source
Funding Line 1: Various General fund Judicial departments, salary and benefit funding lines.
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