Authority to Provide Solid Waste Services

The Georgia General Assembly allows counties and/or cities through their Charter, statutes, or general law to provide certain services to its residents, e.g., one of those is sanitation and/or solid waste services.

• City Charter § 1.12 (9) – allows the City to protect and preserve the natural resources, environment, and vital areas of the city, which include the management of solid and hazardous waste, and other necessary actions for the protection of the environment.
• City Charter § 1.12 (12) – allows the City to levy, fix, assess, and collect a garbage, refuse, and trash collection and disposal and other sanitary service charge, tax, or fee for such services as may be necessary in the operation of the city from all individuals, firms, and corporations residing in or doing business within the City and benefiting from such services; to enforce the payment of such charges, taxes, or fees; and to provide for the manner and method of collecting such service charge;
• City Charter § 1.12 (13) – allows the City to define, regulate, and prohibit any act, practice, conduct, or use of property which is detrimental to the health, sanitation, cleanliness, welfare, and safety of the inhabitants of the city and to provide for the enforcement of such standards.
• On May 23, 2023, the City enacted and passed City Ordinance Sec. 6-2003 - COLLECTION AND DISPOSAL

 Sec. 6-2003.1 

(a) provides that the city shall be exclusively responsible for the collection and disposal of all solid waste, recycling, and bulk waste within the city limits. 

b) Solid waste collection service shall be provided for by the city either on its own or through independent service providers  operating except as follows:

1. The city shall not be responsible for the collection, hauling and disposing of any type of solid waste originating from professional debris removal services or items generated outside the city, or property regulated by Federal, State, or County governments. 
2. There may be joint or multiple use of solid waste containers by outside collection services, subject to securing a permit or contract therefore from the city council and pursuant to rules and regulations therefore as established by the city council.

Sec. 6-2003.2. - Mandatory service

a)    It shall be mandatory for all occupants or persons in possession, charge or control of homes, buildings, and premises in the city or from which solid waste is created, accumulated or produced to use the collection service provided by the city. 

b)   Every residence within the city will be provided solid waste collections and disposal services from the city at a fee established by the City Council.