The 1983 Georgia Constitution prescribes fifteen different services that a municipality may provide:
- Police and fire protection
- Garbage and solid-waste collection and disposal
- Public health facilities and services
- Street and road construction and maintenance
- Parks, recreational areas, programs, and facilities
- Storm-water and sewage collection and disposal systems
- Development, storage, treatment, purification, and distribution of water
- Public housing
- Public transportation
- Libraries, archives, and arts and sciences programs and facilities
- Terminal and dock facilities and parking facilities
- Codes, including building, housing, plumbing, and electrical
- Air-quality control
- The creation, modification, and maintenance of retirement or pension systems for local-government employees
- Planning, zoning, and community redevelopment
The 1993 law added to this list electric or gas utility services and street lighting, for a total of sixteen municipal services.
