§ 37-2-6.1 - Community service boards -- Program director, staff, budget, facilities; powers and duties; exemption from state and local taxation
O.C.G.A. 37-2-6.1 (2010)
37-2-6.1. Community service boards -- Program director, staff, budget, facilities; powers and duties; exemption from state and local taxation
(a) Each community service board shall employ an executive director to serve as its chief executive officer who shall direct the day-to-day operations of the community service board. Such executive director shall be appointed and removed by the community service board and shall appoint other necessary staff pursuant to an annual budget adopted by the board, which budget shall provide for securing appropriate facilities, sites, and professionals necessary for the provision of disability and health services. The community service board may delegate any power, authority, duty, or function to its executive director or other staff. The executive director or other staff is authorized to exercise any power, authority, duty, or function on behalf of the community service board.
(b) Each community service board, under the jurisdiction of its board, shall perform duties, responsibilities, and functions and may exercise power and authority described in this subsection. Each program may exercise the following power and authority:
(1) Each community service board may adopt bylaws for the conduct of its affairs; provided, however, that the community service board shall meet at least quarterly, and that all such meetings and any bylaws shall be open to the public, as otherwise required under Georgia law;
(2) Each community service board may make and enter into all contracts necessary and incidental to the performance of its duties and functions;
(3) Each community service board may acquire by purchase, gift, lease, or otherwise and may own, hold, improve, use, and sell, convey, exchange, transfer, lease, sublease, and dispose of real and personal property of every kind and character, or any interest therein, for its corporate purposes;
(4) Each community service board may contract to utilize the services of the Department of Administrative Services, the State Personnel Administration, the state auditor, or any other agency of state, local, or federal government;
(5) Each community service board may provide, either independently or through contract with appropriate state or local governmental entities, the following benefits to its employees, their dependents, and survivors, in addition to any compensation or other benefits provided to such persons:
(A) Retirement, pension, disability, medical, and hospitalization benefits, through the purchase of insurance or otherwise, but medical and hospitalization benefits may only be provided through the Department of Community Health under the same conditions as provided for such benefits to state employees, and the Department of Community Health shall so provide if requested;
(B) Life insurance coverage and coverage under federal old age and survivors' insurance programs;
(C) Sick leave, annual leave, and holiday leave; and
(D) Any other similar benefits including, but not limited to, death benefits;
(6) Each community service board may cooperate with all units of local government in the counties where the community service board provides services as well as neighboring regions and with the programs of other departments, agencies, and regional commissions and regional planning boards;
(7) Each community service board shall establish and maintain a personnel program for its employees and fix the compensation and terms of compensation of its employees; provided, however, that each community service board shall comply with the provisions of Chapter 20 of Title 45, relating to state personnel administration, for so long as and to the extent that each employee of such board who is a covered employee as defined in Code Section 45-20-2 and is subject to the rules and regulations of the State Personnel Administration remains in a covered position or as otherwise provided by law;
(8) Each community service board may receive and administer grants, gifts, contracts, moneys, and donations for purposes pertaining to the delivery of disability services or of health services;
(9) Each community service board may establish fees for the provision of disability services or health services according to the terms of contracts entered into with the department, Department of Human Services, or Department of Community Health, as appropriate;
(10) Each community service board may accept appropriations, loans of funds, facilities, equipment, and supplies from local governmental entities in the counties where the community service board provides services;
(11) Each member of the community service board may, upon approval of the executive director, receive reimbursement for actual expenses incurred in carrying out the duties of such office; provided, however, that such reimbursement shall not exceed the rates and allowances set for state employees by the Office of Planning and Budget or the mileage allowance for use of a personal car as that received by all other state officials and employees or a travel allowance of actual transportation cost if traveling by public carrier;
(12) Each community service board shall elect a chairperson and vice chairperson from among its membership. The members shall also elect a secretary and treasurer from among its membership or may designate the executive director of the community service board to serve in one or both offices. Such officers shall serve for such terms as shall be prescribed in the bylaws of the community service board or until their respective successors are elected and qualified. No member shall hold more than one office of the community service board; except that the same person may serve as secretary and treasurer. The bylaws of the community service board shall provide for any other officers of such board and the means of their selection, the terms of office of the officers, and an annual meeting to elect officers;
(13) Each community service board may have a seal and alter it;
(14) Each community service board may contract with the State Personnel Administration regarding its personnel who remain in the classified service;
(15) Each community service board may establish fees, rates, rents, and charges for the use of facilities of the community service board for the provision of disability services or of health services through the Department of Community Health, in accordance with the terms of contracts entered into with the department, Department of Human Services, or Department of Community Health, as appropriate;
(16) Each community service board may borrow money for any business purpose and may incur debt, liabilities, and obligations for any business purpose. A debt, liability, or obligation incurred by a community service board shall not be considered a debt, liability, or obligation of the state or any county or any municipality or any political subdivision of the state. A community service board may not borrow money as permitted by this Code section if the highest aggregate annual debt service requirements of the then current fiscal year or any subsequent year for outstanding borrowings of the community service board, including the proposed borrowing, exceed 15 percent of the total revenues of the community service board in its fiscal year immediately preceding the fiscal year in which such debt is to be incurred. Interest paid upon such borrowings shall be exempt from taxation by the state or its political subdivisions. A state contract with a community service board shall not be used or accepted as security or collateral for a debt, liability, or obligation of a community service board without the prior written approval of the commissioner;
(17) Each community service board, to the extent authorized by law and the contract for the funds involved, may carry forward without lapse fund balances and establish operating, capital, and debt reserve accounts from revenues and grants derived from state, county, and all other sources; and
(18) Each community service board may operate, establish, or operate and establish facilities deemed by the community service board as necessary and convenient for the administration, operation, or provision of disability services or of health services by the community service board and may construct, reconstruct, improve, alter, repair, and equip such facilities to the extent authorized by state and federal law.
(c) Nothing shall prohibit a community service board from contracting with any county governing authority, private or other public provider, or hospital for the provision of disability services or of health services.
(d) Each community service board exists for nonprofit and public purposes, and it is found and declared that the carrying out of the purposes of each community service board is exclusively for public benefit and its property is public property. Thus, no community service board shall be required to pay any state or local ad valorem, sales, use, or income taxes.
(e) A community service board shall not have the power to tax, the power to issue general obligation bonds or revenue bonds or revenue certificates, or the power to financially obligate the state or any county or any municipal corporation.
(f) A community service board shall not operate any facility for profit. A community service board may fix fees, rents, rates, and charges that are reasonably expected to produce revenues, which, together with all other funds of the community service board, will be sufficient to administer, operate, and provide the following:
(1) Disability services or health services;
(2) The cost of acquiring, constructing, equipping, maintaining, repairing, and operating its facilities; and
(3) The creation and maintenance of reserves sufficient to meet principal and interest payments due on any obligation of the community service board.
(g) Each community service board may provide reasonable reserves for the improvement, replacement, or expansion of its facilities and services. Reserves under this subsection shall be subject to the limitations in paragraph (16) of subsection (b) of this Code section.
(h) Each county and municipal corporation of this state is authorized to convey or lease property of such county or municipal corporation to a community service board for its public purposes. Any property conveyed or leased to a community services board by a county or municipal corporation shall be operated by such community service board in accordance with this chapter and the terms of the community service board's agreements with the county or municipal corporation providing such conveyance or lease.
(i) Each community service board shall keep books of account reflecting all funds received, expended, and administered by the community service board which shall be independently audited annually.
(j) A community service board may create, form, or become a member of a nonprofit corporation, limited liability company, or other nonprofit entity, the voting membership of which shall be limited to community service boards, governmental entities, nonprofit corporations, or a combination thereof, if such entity is created for purposes that are within the powers of the community service board, for the cooperative functioning of its members, or a combination thereof; provided, however, that no funds provided pursuant to a contract between the department and the community service board may be used in the formation or operation of the nonprofit corporation, limited liability company, or other nonprofit entity. No community service board, whether or not it exercises the power authorized by this subsection, shall be relieved of compliance with Chapter 14 of Title 50, relating to open and public meetings, and Article 4 of Chapter 18 of Title 50, relating to inspection of public records, unless otherwise provided by law.
(k) No community service board shall employ or retain in employment, either directly or indirectly through contract, any person who is receiving a retirement benefit from the Employees' Retirement System of Georgia except in accordance with the provisions of subsection (c) of Code Section 47-2-110; provided, however, that any such person who is employed as of July 1, 2004, may continue to be employed.
(l) A community service board may join or form and operate, either directly or indirectly, one or more networks of community service boards, disability or health service professionals, and other providers of disability services or health services to arrange for the provision of disability services or health services through such networks; to contract either directly or through such networks with the Department of Community Health to provide services to Medicaid beneficiaries; to provide disability services or health services in an efficient and cost-effective manner on a prepaid, capitation, or other reimbursement basis; and to undertake other disability or health services related managed care activities. For purposes of this subsection only and notwithstanding Code Section 33-3-3 or any other provision of law, a community service board shall be permitted to and shall comply with the requirements of Chapter 20A of Title 33 to the extent that such requirements apply to the activities undertaken by the community service board or by a community service board under this subsection or subsection (j) of this Code section. No community service board, whether or not it exercises the powers authorized by this subsection, shall be relieved of compliance with Article 4 of Chapter 18 of Title 50, relating to inspection of public records, unless otherwise provided by law. Any licensed health care provider shall be eligible to apply to become a participating provider under such a plan or network that provides coverage for health care, disability services, or health services which are within the lawful scope of the provider's license, but nothing in this Code section shall be construed to require any such plan or network to provide coverage for any specific health care, disability service, or health service.