City of Hiram claims victory as SB 630 defeated

Editor’s note: There was a typo in the headline for Senate Bill 630 that was corrected. -KtE

Good news for the City of Hiram: they’ll remain a municipality as legislation meant to put the city’s charter in jeopardy didn’t get a chance for a vote in the State Senate.

State Majority Leader and 31st District Senator Jason Anavitarte introduced legislation under the Gold Dome in the later days of the session seeking to force Hiram to get their financial house in order, or face losing its status as a city and the area be returned back to Paulding County’s jurisdiction.

The city held a meeting in March to discuss the challenge to the charter, and told residents that they were taking proactive steps to ensure that the city has necessary funds to continue operations. They were set to look at several options, but didn’t announce any particular plan for the future finances.

After the legislation was introduced, it went onto “read and referred” status and never made it out of committee and to the full floor for a vote. The House would have been required to pass it as well before it went to the Governor’s desk for a signature.

Since it didn’t make it past the initial stage after the March 20 introduction, the city posted today their thanks to the community for reaching out to lawmakers to ensure Hiram remains incorporated. Here’s the full text of the posting from the city’s Facebook page on the afternoon of April 6:

“We want to share an important update with our community: SB 630, the legislation that would have dissolved the City of Hiram, did not pass. As a result, Hiram remains a city, and local decisions will continue to be shaped by the people who live and work here.

This outcome was made possible in large part because of the incredible engagement of our residents. We saw citizens attend meetings, contact legislators, ask thoughtful questions, and speak up for their community. Civic participation matters—and Hiram residents made their voices heard clearly and respectfully. Thank you for standing up for your city.

We also want to recognize and thank our city employees, who continued serving residents with professionalism and dedication throughout an uncertain and stressful time. Your commitment to this community does not go unnoticed, and we are deeply grateful for your hard work each and every day.

Looking ahead, we remain committed to working collaboratively with state leaders to address the challenges facing our city. This moment is an opportunity, and together, we will continue working to strengthen Hiram—now and for future generations.

Thank you for being part of this community and for caring about Hiram.

Comments on the posting from the city in the meantime have been mixed – some congratulating the city, while others calling on officials to fix budget problems.

State Sen. Anavitarte was sought for comment but had not yet returned the query.

The City Council is set to hold their regular session for the month of April on Tuesday evening at 6 p.m.