South Fulton creates Public Facilities Authority, elects chair and adopts bylaws

The City of South Fulton’s newly created Public Facilities Authority met Aug. 12 and completed organizational steps that city officials said are required before the authority can act as a conduit for issuing debt on behalf of the city.

What happened: Council had already authorized the formation of the Public Facilities Authority (PFA) earlier; the PFA convened Aug. 12, established quorum and elected Carmelita Gumbs as chair and Keosha B. Bell as vice chair. The authority ratified its secretary (Corey Adams) and treasurer (Althea Phillip Bradley) and adopted a set of standard bylaws drafted with outside bond counsel. Votes on officers and ratification were unanimous among the PFA members present.

Why the authority exists: City Manager Sharon D. Subadan and bond counsel explained that a public facilities authority is a political subdivision created under Georgia law that can be used as a conduit to issue revenue bonds for public facilities across the city. Attorney Doug Selby (bond counsel) and financial adviser Ed Wall told the authority that PFAs are a flexible financing tool distinct from development authorities and urban redevelopment authorities (URAs) and are intended only to provide conduit financing — not to run city services or undertake unrelated economic‑development functions.

Bylaws and registration: Bond counsel described the bylaws as “standard” and said the authority will register with the Georgia Department of Community Affairs and certify annually. The bylaws outline officers, meetings, and administrative duties and are intended to enable the authority to carry out its core function — borrowing for facilities that will then be leased to the city under intergovernmental contract terms.

Next steps: The authority will be used in the near term as part of the city’s plan to finance police and fire facilities; council also discussed the separate millage cap question and bond plans during the Aug. 12 sessions. The PFA’s officials said they expect to meet again quickly; adoption of borrowing documents and related intergovernmental contracts will return to council and the authority for action in the coming weeks.

Ending: The PFA’s organization removes a procedural barrier to financing city capital projects; the authority is now positioned to accept bond counsel’s work, pursue registration, and participate in the planned financing that the city manager and finance team described elsewhere in the Aug. 12 meeting.