TYBEE ISLAND, Ga. (WTGS) — A group of residents and businesses are challenging the city council’s newly implemented short-term vacation rental (STVR) ordinance for the second time.
The Tybee Island Alliance filed a lawsuit in the Superior Court of Chatham Couty stating their belief that the ordinance passed on Oct. 13, 2022, is “invalid and unenforceable” because it was not enacted in accordance with the Constitution, the Georgia Code, and the City’s Charter.
The cavalier approach to lawmaking by the Tybee Council harms too many taxpayers, residents, and businesses,” said Tybee Alliance Chair Dustin Church. “We cannot sit idly by and allow this to continue. The Mayor and Council leave us no choice but to petition the court to force them to follow their own rules as laid out in the City’s Charter and Code.
According to their mission statement, the Tybee Island Alliance is made up of residents and business owners who support property rights and the positive impact of vacation rentals on the community of Tybee Island.
FOX28 reached out to city officials and received this response:
“It is the city’s position that its actions complied with all applicable state laws & its ordinances. Public hearings & meetings were also held in compliance with all applicable laws & ordinances.”
You can review the city’s STVR policies here.