He said the downsides include putting "mom and pop" builders at a competitive disadvantage and that neighborhood district boards, which are initially appointed by the developer, occasionally abuse their power. In one case, a board bought undevelopable land from the developer with tax money, giving him a multimillion-dollar profit. At other times, boards in Florida have done things like spend money on amenities for clubs that don't benefit everyone, such as golf cart paths for a golf club.

And Florida open records laws don't apply completely to the boards, Chapin said.

The Georgia Municipal Association opposes Staton's bill, for some of the reasons cited by Chapin.

GMA spokeswoman Amy Henderson said there are potential conflicts between the boards and local governments over utilities and services, and that homeowners would be subject to the whims of a board over which they have no voting power for years. Under the proposal, home buyers would be able to vote for board members only after a five- or 10-year period.

"They can tax and spend, but there is not a whole bunch of accountability," Henderson said.

Environmental groups worry that the law would give developers the ability to put huge developments into exurban areas where lack of infrastructure once kept them at bay.