State's second-tier cities join forces for funds, growth
In Georgia the word "metro" doesn't apply just to Atlanta anymore, and hasn't for a long time now. Columbus qualifies as a metropolitan statistical area, as do Augusta, Macon and Savannah. To Macon Mayor Robert Reichert, that demographic shift has rendered obsolete the old "Two Georgias" description that conceived the state as consisting of Atlanta and pretty much everywhere else.
"It's not Atlanta versus the rest of the state that comprises the two Georgias," Reichert told Macon Telegraph reporter Maggie Lee. "It's the urbanized areas and the rural areas."
The latter are what Reichert and others, including Columbus Mayor Teresa Tomlinson, call Georgia's "hub" cities -- centers of culture, education, health care, retail, tourism, recreation, entertainment, dining, and much more.
"There are tremendous things going on," Tomlinson told the Telegraph. "They are communities of choice. People with high levels of education, people who are starting their businesses chose to live in these communities. They're thriving, they're vibrant."
Yet we're still competing with ever-sprawling metro Atlanta for state money and other resources. Which is why Tomlinson, Reichert and others met Wednesday at a public forum in Atlanta sponsored by the Georgia Municipal Association.
The Telegraph story noted something of which the mayors are quite aware: Most of the state's leaders come, if not from the metro Atlanta area proper, then from north Georgia. Both Gov. Nathan Deal and Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle live in Hall County, House Speaker David Ralston in Blue Ridge. That means cities in the other parts of the state need to combine forces for the best ideas and the maximum political clout.
"There's commonality between large cities" GMA President Mike Bodker told the gathering. "It doesn't matter whether they're part of a larger metro or their own metro. We still face the same common core issues, and we all benefit by having dialogue and continuing to work together to share best practices."
It's a message cities like Columbus and their legislative delegations need to continue bringing to state attention: These are important and growing communities where, as Tomlinson said, people are choosing to live, and for myriad reasons. Atlanta is the state's biggest economic and cultural engine, but it's by no means the only one driving Georgia forward.
Winners all around
The Technical College System of Georgia is making state businesses an offer they shouldn't refuse: tax credits for letting their employees get better educated.
Under a state program, businesses that pay for employees to take a General Education Development Class can get a $400 credit for each one who passes; if the employer pays for both GED classes and the test, it's $1,200 for each employee who passes.
Talk about a good risk-reward ratio
This story was originally published September 10, 2015 at 4:20 PM with the headline "State's second-tier cities join forces for funds, growth."