(a) The authority shall have the following general powers:

(1) To sue and be sued in all courts of this state, the original jurisdiction and venue of any such action being the superior court of any county wherein a substantial part of the business was transacted, the tortious act, omission, or injury occurred, or the real property is located, except that venue and jurisdiction for bond validation proceedings shall be as provided by paragraph (9) of subsection (e) of Code Section 50-32-31;

(2) To have a seal and alter the same at its pleasure;

(3) To plan, design, acquire, construct, add to, extend, improve, equip, operate, and maintain or cause to be operated and maintained land public transportation systems and other land transportation projects, and all facilities and appurtenances necessary or beneficial thereto, within the geographic area over which the authority has jurisdiction or which are included within an approved transportation plan or transportation improvement program and provide land public transportation services within the geographic jurisdiction of the authority, and to contract with any state, regional, or local government, authority, or department, or with any private person, firm, or corporation, for those purposes, and to enter into contracts and agreements with the Georgia Department of Transportation, county and local governments, and transit system operators for those purposes;

(4) To plan, design, acquire, construct, add to, extend, improve, equip, operate, and maintain or cause to be operated and maintained air quality control installations, and all facilities and appurtenances necessary or beneficial thereto, within the geographic area over which the authority has jurisdiction for such purposes pursuant to this chapter, and to contract with any state, regional, or local government, authority, or department, or with any private person, firm, or corporation, for those purposes; provided, however, that where such air quality control measures are included in an applicable implementation plan, they shall be approved by the Environmental Protection Division of the state Department of Natural Resources and by the United States Environmental Protection Agency where necessary to preserve their protected status during any conformity lapse;

(5) To make and execute contracts, lease agreements, and all other instruments necessary or convenient to exercise the powers of the authority or to further the public purpose for which the authority is created, such contracts, leases, or instruments to include contracts for acquisition, construction, operation, management, or maintenance of projects and facilities owned by local government, the authority, or by the state or any political subdivision, department, agency, or authority thereof, and to include contracts relating to the execution of the powers of the authority and the disposal of the property of the authority from time to time; and any and all local governments, departments, institutions, authorities, or agencies of the state are authorized to enter into contracts, leases, agreements, or other instruments with the authority upon such terms and to transfer real and personal property to the authority for such consideration and for such purposes as they deem advisable; (6) To acquire by purchase, lease, or otherwise and to hold, lease, and dispose of real or personal property of every kind and character, or any interest therein, in furtherance of the public purpose of the authority, in compliance, where required, with applicable federal law including without limitation the Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970, as amended, 40 U.S.C. Section 4601 et seq., 23 C.F.R. Section 1.23, and 23 C.F.R. Section 713(c);

(7) To appoint an executive director who shall be executive officer and administrative head of the authority. The executive director shall be appointed and serve at the pleasure of the authority. The executive director shall hire officers, agents, and employees, prescribe their duties and qualifications and fix their compensation, and perform such other duties as may be prescribed by the authority. Such officers, agents, and employees shall serve at the pleasure of the executive director;

(8) To finance projects, facilities, and undertakings of the authority for the furtherance of the purposes of the authority within the geographic area over which the authority has jurisdiction by loan, loan guarantee, grant, lease, or otherwise, and to pay the cost of such from the proceeds of bonds, revenue bonds, notes, or other obligations of the authority or any other funds of the authority or from any contributions or loans by persons, corporations, partnerships, whether limited or general, or other entities, all of which the authority is authorized to receive, accept, and use;

(9) To extend credit or make loans or grants for all or part of the cost or expense of any project, facility, or undertaking of a political subdivision or other entity for the furtherance of the purposes of the authority within the geographic area over which the authority has jurisdiction upon such terms and conditions as the authority may deem necessary or desirable; and to adopt rules, regulations, and procedures for making such loans and grants;

(10) To borrow money to further or carry out its public purpose and to issue guaranteed revenue bonds, revenue bonds, notes, or other obligations to evidence such loans and to execute leases, trust indentures, trust agreements for the sale of its revenue bonds, notes, or other obligations, loan agreements, mortgages, deeds to secure debt, trust deeds, security agreements, assignments, and such other agreements or instruments as may be necessary or desirable in the judgment of the authority, and to evidence and to provide security for such loans;

(11) To issue guaranteed revenue bonds, revenue bonds, bonds, notes, or other obligations of the authority, to receive payments from the Department of Community Affairs, and to use the proceeds thereof for the purpose of:

(A) Paying or loaning the proceeds thereof to pay, all or any part of, the cost of any project or the principal of and premium, if any, and interest on the revenue bonds, bonds, notes, or other obligations of any local government issued for the purpose of paying in whole or in part, the cost of any project and having a final maturity not exceeding three years from the date of original issuance thereof; (B) Paying all costs of the authority incidental to, or necessary and appropriate to, furthering or carrying out the purposes of the authority; and

(C) Paying all costs of the authority incurred in connection with the issuance of the guaranteed revenue bonds, revenue bonds, bonds, notes, or other obligations;

(12) To collect fees and charges in connection with its loans, commitments, management services, and servicing including, but not limited to, reimbursements of costs of financing, as the authority shall determine to be reasonable and as shall be approved by the authority;

(13) Subject to any agreement with bond owners, to invest moneys of the authority not required for immediate use to carry out the purposes of this chapter, including the proceeds from the sale of any bonds and any moneys held in reserve funds, in obligations which shall be limited to the following:

(A) Bonds or other obligations of the state or bonds or other obligations, the principal and interest of which are guaranteed by the state;

(B) Bonds or other obligations of the United States or of subsidiary corporations of the United States government fully guaranteed by such government;

(C) Obligations of agencies of the United States government issued by the Federal Land Bank, the Federal Home Loan Bank, the Federal Intermediate Credit Bank, and the Bank for Cooperatives;

(D) Bonds or other obligations issued by any public housing agency or municipality in the United States, which bonds or obligations are fully secured as to the payment of both principal and interest by a pledge of annual contributions under an annual contributions contract or contracts with the United States government, or project notes issued by any public housing agency, urban renewal agency, or municipality in the United States and fully secured as to payment of both principal and interest by a requisition, loan, or payment agreement with the United States government;

(E) Certificates of deposit of national or state banks or federal savings and loan associations located within the state which have deposits insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any Georgia deposit insurance corporation and certificates of deposit of state building and loan associations located within the state which have deposits insured by any Georgia deposit insurance corporation, including the certificates of deposit of any bank, savings and loan association, or building and loan association acting as depository, custodian, or trustee for any such bond proceeds; provided, however, that the portion of such certificates of deposit in excess of the amount insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any Georgia deposit insurance corporation, if any such excess exists, shall be secured by deposit with the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, Georgia, or with any national or state bank located within the state, of one or more of the following securities in an aggregate principal amount equal at least to the amount of such excess:

(i) Direct and general obligations of the state or of any county or municipality in the state;

(ii) Obligations of the United States or subsidiary corporations included in subparagraph (B) of this paragraph;

(iii) Obligations of agencies of the United States government included in subparagraph (C) of this paragraph; or

(iv) Bonds, obligations, or project notes of public housing agencies, urban renewal agencies, or municipalities included in subparagraph (D) of this paragraph;

(F) Interest-bearing time deposits, repurchase agreements, reverse repurchase agreements, rate guarantee agreements, or other similar banking arrangements with a bank or trust company having capital and surplus aggregating at least $50 million or with any government bond dealer reporting to, trading with, and recognized as a primary dealer by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York having capital aggregating at least $50 million or with any corporation which is subject to registration with the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System pursuant to the requirements of the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, provided that each such interest-bearing time deposit, repurchase agreement, reverse repurchase agreement, rate guarantee agreement, or other similar banking arrangement shall permit the moneys so placed to be available for use at the time provided with respect to the investment or reinvestment of such moneys; and

(G) State operated investment pools;

(14) To acquire or contract to acquire from any person, firm, corporation, local government, federal or state agency, or corporation by grant, purchase, or otherwise, leaseholds, real or personal property, or any interest therein; and to sell, assign, exchange, transfer, convey, lease, mortgage, or otherwise dispose of or encumber the same; and local government is authorized to grant, sell, or otherwise alienate leaseholds, real and personal property, or any interest therein to the authority;

(15) Subject to applicable covenants or agreements related to the issuance of bonds, to invest any moneys held in debt service funds or sinking funds not restricted as to investment by the Constitution or laws of this state or the federal government or by contract not required for immediate use or disbursement in obligations of the types specified in paragraph (13) of this subsection, provided that, for the purposes of this paragraph, the amounts and maturities of such obligations shall be based upon and correlated to the debt service, which debt service shall be the principal installments and interest payments, schedule for which such moneys are to be applied;

(16) To provide advisory, technical, consultative, training, educational, and project assistance services to the state and local government and to enter into contracts with the state and local government to provide such services. The state and local governments are authorized to enter into contracts with the authority for such services and to pay for such services as may be provided them;

(17) To make loan commitments and loans to local governments and to enter into option arrangements with local governments for the purchase of said bonds, revenue bonds, notes, or other obligations;

(18) To sell or pledge any bonds, revenue bonds, notes, or other obligations acquired by it whenever it is determined by the authority that the sale thereof is desirable;

(19) To apply for and to accept any gifts or grants or loan guarantees or loans of funds or property or financial or other aid in any form from the federal government or any agency or instrumentality thereof, or from the state or any agency or instrumentality thereof, or from any other source for any or all of the purposes specified in this chapter and to comply, subject to the provisions of this chapter, with the terms and conditions thereof;

(20) To lease to local governments any authority owned facilities or property or any state owned facilities or property which the authority is managing under contract with the state;

(21) To contract with state agencies or any local government for the use by the authority of any property or facilities or services of the state or any such state agency or local government or for the use by any state agency or local government of any facilities or services of the authority and such state agencies and local governments are authorized to enter into such contracts;

(22) To extend credit or make loans, including the acquisition of bonds, revenue bonds, notes, or other obligations of the state, any local government, or other entity, including the federal government, for the cost or expense of any project or any part of the cost or expense of any project, which credit or loans may be evidenced or secured by trust indentures, loan agreements, notes, mortgages, deeds to secure debt, trust deeds, security agreements, or assignments, on such terms and conditions as the authority shall determine to be reasonable in connection with such extension of credit or loans, including provision for the establishment and maintenance of reserve funds; and, in the exercise of powers granted by this chapter in connection with any project, the authority shall have the right and power to require the inclusion in any such trust indentures, loan agreement, note, mortgage, deed to secure debt, trust deed, security agreement, assignment, or other instrument such provisions or requirements for guaranty of any obligations, insurance, construction, use, operation, maintenance, and financing of a project and such other terms and conditions as the authority may deem necessary or desirable;

(23) As security for repayment of any bonds, revenue bonds, notes, or other obligations of the authority, to pledge, lease, mortgage, convey, assign, hypothecate, or otherwise encumber any property of the authority including, but not limited to, real property, fixtures, personal property, and revenues or other funds and to execute any lease, trust indenture, trust agreement, agreement for the sale of the authority's revenue bonds, notes or other obligations, loan agreement, mortgage, deed to secure debt, trust deed, security agreement, assignment, or other agreement or instrument as may be necessary or desirable, in the judgment of the authority, to secure any such revenue bonds, notes, or other obligations, which instruments or agreements may provide for foreclosure or forced sale of any property of the authority upon default in any obligation of the authority, either in payment of principal, premium, if any, or interest or in the performance of any term or condition contained in any such agreement or instrument;

(24) To receive and use the proceeds of any tax levied to pay all or any part of the cost of any project or for any other purpose for which the authority may use its own funds pursuant to this chapter;

(25) To use income earned on any investment for such corporate purposes of the authority as the authority in its discretion shall determine, including, but not limited to, the use of repaid principal and earnings on funds, the ultimate source of which was an appropriation to a budget unit of the state to make loans for projects;

(26) To cooperate and act in conjunction with industrial, commercial, medical, scientific, public interest, or educational organizations; with agencies of the federal government and this state and local government; with other states and their political subdivisions; and with joint agencies thereof and such state agencies, local government, and joint agencies are authorized and empowered to cooperate and act in conjunction, and to enter into contracts or agreements with the authority and local government to achieve or further the purposes of the authority;

(27) To coordinate, cooperate, and contract with any metropolitan planning organization for a standard metropolitan statistical area which is primarily located within an adjoining state but which includes any territory within the jurisdiction of the authority to achieve or further the purposes of the authority as provided by this chapter;

(28) To coordinate and assist in planning for land transportation and air quality purposes within the geographic area over which the authority has jurisdiction pursuant to this chapter, between and among all state, regional, and local authorities charged with planning responsibilities for such purposes by state or federal law, and to adopt a regional plan or plans based in whole or in part on such planning;

(29) To review and make recommendations to the Governor concerning all proposed regional land transportation plans and transportation improvement programs prepared by metropolitan planning organizations wholly or partly within the geographic area over which the authority has jurisdiction pursuant to this chapter, and to negotiate with such metropolitan planning organizations concerning changes or amendments to such plans which may be recommended by the authority or the Governor consistent with applicable federal law and regulation, and to adopt such regional plans as all or a portion of its own regional plans;

(30) To review and make recommendations to the Governor concerning all land transportation plans and transportation improvement programs prepared by the Department of Transportation involving design, construction, or operation of land transportation facilities wholly or partly within the geographic area over which the authority has jurisdiction pursuant to this chapter, and to negotiate with that department concerning changes or amendments to such plans which may be recommended by the authority or the Governor consistent with applicable federal law and regulation, and to adopt such plans as all or a portion of its own regional plans;

(31) To acquire by the exercise of the power of eminent domain any real property or rights in property which it may deem necessary for its purposes under this chapter pursuant to the procedures set forth in this chapter, and to purchase, exchange, sell, lease, or otherwise acquire or dispose of any property or any rights or interests therein for the purposes authorized by this chapter or for any facilities or activities incident thereto, subject to and in conformity with applicable federal law and regulation;

(32) To the extent permissible under federal law, to operate as a receiver of federal grants, loans, and other moneys intended to be used within the geographic area over which the authority has jurisdiction pursuant to this chapter for inter-urban and intra-urban transit, land public transportation development, air quality and air pollution control, and other purposes related to the alleviation of congestion and air pollution;

(33) Subject to any covenant or agreement made for the benefit of owners of bonds, notes, or other obligations issued to finance roads or toll roads, in planning for the use of any road or toll road which lies within the geographical area over which the authority has jurisdiction, the authority shall have the power to control or limit access thereto, including the power to close off, regulate, or create access to or from any part, excluding the interstate system, of any road on the state highway system, a county road system, or a municipal street system to or from any such road or toll road or any property or project of the authority, to the extent necessary to achieve the purposes of the authority; the authority may submit an application for an interstate system right of way encroachment through the state Department of Transportation, and that department shall submit the same to the Federal Highway Administration for approval. The authority shall provide any affected local government with not less than 60 days notice of any proposed access limitation;

(34) To exercise any power granted by the laws of this state to public or private corporations which is not in conflict with the public purpose of the authority;

(35) To do all things necessary or convenient to carry out the powers conferred by this chapter;

(36) To procure insurance against any loss in connection with its property and other assets or obligations or to establish cash reserves to enable it to act as self-insurer against any and all such losses;

(37) To accept and use federal funds; to enter into any contracts or agreements with the United States or its agencies or subdivisions relating to the planning, financing, construction, improvement, operation, and maintenance of any public road or other mode or system of land transportation; and to do all things necessary, proper, or expedient to achieve compliance with the provisions and requirements of all applicable federal-aid acts and programs. Nothing in this chapter is intended to conflict with any federal law; and, in case of such conflict, such portion as may be in conflict with such federal law is declared of no effect to the extent of the conflict;

(38) To ensure that any project funded by the authority in whole or in part with federal-aid funds is included in approved transportation improvement programs adopted and approved by designated metropolitan planning organizations and the Governor and in the land transportation plan adopted and approved by the designated metropolitan planning organization, and is in compliance with the requirements of relevant portions of the regulations implementing the Clean Air Act including without limitation 40 C.F.R. Section 93.105(c)(1)(ii) and 40 C.F.R. Section 93.122(a)(1), where such inclusion, approval, designation, or compliance is required by applicable federal law or regulation; and

(39) To appoint and select officers, agents, and employees, including engineering, architectural, and construction experts and attorneys, and to fix their compensation.

(b) In addition to the above-enumerated general powers, and such other powers as are set forth in this chapter, the authority shall have the following powers with respect to special districts created and activated pursuant to this chapter:

(1) By resolution, to authorize the provision of land public transportation services and the institution of air quality control measures within the bounds of such special districts by local governments within such special districts utilizing the funding methods authorized by this chapter where the facilities for such purposes are located wholly within the jurisdiction of such local governments and such special districts or are the subject of contracts between or among such local governments and where such services and measures are certified by the authority to be consistent with the designated metropolitan planning organizations' regional plans, where applicable;

(2) By resolution, to authorize the utilization by local governments within such special districts of the funding mechanisms enumerated in Code Section 50-32-30 to provide funding to defray the cost of land public transportation and air quality control measures certified and provided pursuant to paragraph (1) of this subsection;

(3) By resolution, to authorize the utilization by local governments within such special districts of the above-enumerated funding mechanisms to assist in funding those portions of regional land public transportation systems which lie within and provide service to the territory of such local governments within special districts; and

(4) By resolution, to contract with local governments within such special districts for funding, planning services, and such other services as the authority may deem necessary and proper to assist such local governments in providing land public transportation services and instituting air quality control measures within the bounds of such special districts where the facilities for such purposes are located wholly within the jurisdiction of such local governments and such special districts or are the subject of contracts between or among such local governments, and where such services and measures are certified by the authority to be consistent with the designated metropolitan planning organizations' regional plans, where applicable.

(c) The provision of local government services and the utilization of funding mechanisms therefor consistent with the terms of this chapter shall not be subject to the provisions of Chapter 70 of Title 36; provided, however, that the authority shall, where practicable, provide for coordination and consistency between the provision of such services pursuant to the terms of this chapter and the provision of such services pursuant to Chapter 70 of Title 36.