Barnesville council adopts short-term rental and bed-and-breakfast ordinances amid one abstention
April 18, 2026 | Barnesville , Lamar County, Georgia
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The Barnesville City Council voted in February 2025 to adopt a set of zoning and code changes governing short-term rentals and bed-and-breakfast inns.
City Manager Tammy York presented Ordinance No. 617, which adds a definition and regulatory article for Short Term Rentals in the City Code. Ordinance No. 618 was a text amendment to allow Short Term Rentals as a conditional use in specified residential zoning districts (R1A, R1B, R1C, R2). Ordinance No. 619 amended zoning sections to permit Bed and Breakfast Inns as a conditional use in selected residential districts.
On Feb. 3 the Council approved all three ordinances. Voting records in the minutes show Councilmembers Christopher Hightower, Sammie Shropshire, Joseph Sims and Mayor Pro Tem Cecil McDaniel voted in favor and Councilmember Bill Claxton abstained due to a stated conflict of interest related to a recent property purchase. The Council discussed regulatory oversight, conditional-use permitting, and the potential revenue benefits to the city.
The ordinances will require applicants to follow the conditional-use process and any conditions imposed by the city upon approval. The changes are intended to create a regulatory pathway for homeowners and small innkeepers while preserving neighborhood standards and allowing the City to collect associated fees.
Council did not adopt additional tax or licensing measures at the time of passage; follow-up implementation steps (permit application forms and conditional-use criteria) will be handled by City staff and the Building & Zoning Administrator.
City Manager Tammy York presented Ordinance No. 617, which adds a definition and regulatory article for Short Term Rentals in the City Code. Ordinance No. 618 was a text amendment to allow Short Term Rentals as a conditional use in specified residential zoning districts (R1A, R1B, R1C, R2). Ordinance No. 619 amended zoning sections to permit Bed and Breakfast Inns as a conditional use in selected residential districts.
On Feb. 3 the Council approved all three ordinances. Voting records in the minutes show Councilmembers Christopher Hightower, Sammie Shropshire, Joseph Sims and Mayor Pro Tem Cecil McDaniel voted in favor and Councilmember Bill Claxton abstained due to a stated conflict of interest related to a recent property purchase. The Council discussed regulatory oversight, conditional-use permitting, and the potential revenue benefits to the city.
The ordinances will require applicants to follow the conditional-use process and any conditions imposed by the city upon approval. The changes are intended to create a regulatory pathway for homeowners and small innkeepers while preserving neighborhood standards and allowing the City to collect associated fees.
Council did not adopt additional tax or licensing measures at the time of passage; follow-up implementation steps (permit application forms and conditional-use criteria) will be handled by City staff and the Building & Zoning Administrator.
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