GA HB1439

Repeals existing municipal deannexation provisions and replaces them with a new framework requiring written applications from all landowners of the property to be deannexed, plus a consent resolution from the county governing authority where the property is located

Deannexed property remains subject to the municipality's outstanding general obligation bonded indebtedness through the creation of a special tax district that continues collecting ad valorem taxes to retire the debt

Property deannexed from a municipality cannot be re-annexed for at least two calendar years after the effective date of deannexation, unless accomplished by local Act of the General Assembly

Establishes a dispute resolution process allowing municipalities to object to deannexation by majority vote based on material burdens from proposed zoning changes, density increases, or infrastructure demands, with disputes resolved by a five-member arbitration panel appointed through the Department of Community Affairs

Counties are prohibited from changing the zoning, land use, or density of deannexed property to a more intense level for one year after the effective date of deannexation, and arbitration panel decisions may be appealed to superior court within 10 calendar days solely on grounds of factual or legal error, arbitrator bias, or abuse of discretion