GA HB1288

Re-creates and reconstitutes the Hart County Water and Sewer Authority as a political subdivision of Georgia, succeeding the former Hart County Water and Sewer Utility Authority (established in 1992), with perpetual existence and designation as the primary supplier of water and sewer services in unincorporated Hart County

Authority governed by five members appointed by the Hart County Board of Commissioners, serving staggered four-year terms, with compensation not to exceed $1,200 per year; members must be at least 21 years old and Hart County residents for at least one year

Grants the authority broad powers including acquiring property through purchase or condemnation, constructing and operating water and sewer projects, issuing negotiable revenue bonds (maturing up to 40 years), setting rates and charges, and entering into contracts of up to 50 years with municipalities, counties, and other entities both inside and outside Georgia

Revenue bonds issued by the authority are exempt from all state and local taxation, do not constitute a debt of Hart County, and are payable solely from the authority's own revenues and earnings

Prohibits the authority from constructing water or sewer lines within any municipality without express written consent of that municipality's governing body, and expressly preserves the rights of Hart County and local municipalities to own and operate their own water and sewer systems