James July-August 2025 web - Flipbook - Page 65
Picture a bright Monday morning in Georgia— in
Rome, Americus, Decatur, Waycross, or your own
hometown. As activity picks up on Main Street, a
police car passes newly renovated lofts wired for
high-speed broadband, and people drop by a coffee
shop in a building that once sat vacant.
Every element of that scene—
public safety, broadband, adaptive
reuse— came from a decision made
in city hall. Those local choices
power Georgia’s promise.
Cities occupy just nine percent
of our state’s land area, yet house
45 percent of Georgians. They
generate 91 percent of the state’s
GDP and account for 70 percent of
our jobs. Their daytime populations
increase by 24 percent as people
commute in for work or visit for
shopping and services. Like residents, these visitors rely on city water, sewer, fire and police services.
In short, cities are the engines that
keep Georgia growing.
It’s in cities where a fourth-generation store owner and a first-generation tech worker cheer the
same band at the local festival.
That mix is possible because 48
percent of Georgia’s housing units
and three-quarters of its multifamily homes are in cities, offering
everything from lofts to historic
bungalows. No wonder corporate
recruiters sell that quality of life to
companies deciding whether to
build here or in Tennessee, Texas,
or Nevada.
That engine runs because
local voters invest. Since 2001 they
have approved 95 percent of Special Purpose Local Option Sales
(SPLOST) tax referenda, making investments in projects they can see
and touch; streets repaved, parks
upgraded, infrastructure and
technology modernized. In just the
last five years, city residents have
approved more than $10 billion in
local capital projects. Local decision making, transparent project
lists and funding sunsets make
these investment models of fiscal
stewardship.
Even the best-tuned engine
needs fuel, though. Georgia’s cities
have identified $33 billion in capital
needs between now and 2029:
$10.3 billion for water and sewer
alone, with another $9.7 billion for
transportation. These are not wishlists. They are the backbone of
clean water, industrial recruitment
and safe travel across Georgia.
Population growth, rising construction costs, compliance with
state and federal regulations and
normal repair and replacement are
fueling these needs. Meanwhile,
62 percent of taxexempt property—
hospitals, government and educational facilities, houses of worship—
are in cities. This further constrains
local revenue. Small cities, the 73
percent of municipalities with fewer than five thousand residents and
a limited tax base, feel the squeeze
the most.
Yet every dollar invested locally
returns multiples in economic and
quality of life benefits. In Douglas,
$3 million in federal and local funds
is extending natural-gas, water, and
sewer into a business park, unlocking $45 million in private investment
and new jobs. Valdosta invested
$2.9 million in local funds to create
Unity Park downtown, featuring
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