(a) The budget and tax levy of the former City of Athens shall serve as the budget and tax levy for the urban service district for the fiscal year in which metropolitan-government is implemented. The budget and tax levy of the former County of Limestone shall serve as the budget and tax levy for the general service district for the fiscal year in which metropolitan-government is implemented. Amendments to both the operating and capital improvements budgets during the 1987–1988 fiscal year may be made by the mayor and approved by the commission for either the urban service district or the general service district in accordance with general law.
(b) All bonds issued by the City of Athens prior to the effective date of this part shall be assigned to the urban service district. All bonds issued by Limestone County prior to the effective date of this part shall be assigned to the general service district. In the event that the boundaries of the urban service district are expanded prior to the redemption of all bonded indebtedness incurred prior to the effective date of this part, the commission shall insure through the provision of special service districts that the outstanding bonds are redeemed by a property tax within the area where the bond was originally issued.
(c) The first proposed budgets for the government shall be prepared by the mayor and submitted to the commission by the mayor on the first commission meeting after taking office and shall be adopted by October 1, 1988.
Last modified: May 3, 2021