Georgia County Government - May/June 2008 - (Page 23)

es Quality Growth ing ‘Southern Crescent’ prosperity he jurisdiction enjoys prosperity the jurisdiction enjo today s isdiction joys ay as home to the state’s biggest economic as home t he biggest economic ec mi i “engine,” and its largest employer, Hartsemployer, Harts“e gine,” and eng n emp oyer Hartspl er, field-Jackson International Airport. Ineld eld-Jackson Internationa l Airpor t. Inn nt rnati n Airpo deed, Clayton County’s selection as the d ed, C deed, Clayton County’s selection as the d o u et n h site of what would become the world’s s site of what wou ld become the world’s w a o ld beco c h world orld’ busiest airpor t has been more pivotal to b sies airport busiest ai po has been more pivota l ies n mo piv al or vo vot its history than having figured as t he setgured its histor y t han hav ing figure as the sett hist r th n av ing g u istor t he e ting for Mitchell’s Civil War epic. ti tin for Mitchel l ’s Civil War epic. or it hel C i W p As the site of Hartsfield-Jackson, As he site f t eld-Jackson, d a kson, Clayton County occupies the industrial Clay ton Coun Clay ton Cou ty ayto y industrial dust ia l t tax base “catbird seat” in Georgia, with ta x base “catbird seat ba s ase tbird s at” Georgia, with rgia w i a airline and air cargo-related industries airline and air cargo related industries i line an i carg related indu tr es rgou occupying every square inch of some of occupying ever squa occupy ing ever y square inch f some ery uare h som ome m the most lucrative commercial property t he the most lu rative commercia l proper ty lucrati e ial pr perty rop r t y in the nation. Today, 25 thriving business in t he nation. Today, 5 thriving business ation. o y tio n bus n parks operate not only at f u ll capacit y, 20 only full capacity, operate not onl at fu capacit 20 p ate ly apa ap ity, of these accommodate Fortune 500 comf these accommodate For tune 500 comhese accommod r tune 00 om ompanies. As home to Hartsfield-Jackson, home panies. s m field-Jackson, e -J k Clayton Count y is privileged to garner County pr Clayton Co a Coun is pr eged to garn privile garner ar perpetual commercial investment, and perpetua l commercial investment, and u mm m l v mn growth, of a rarefied order. growth, o rar arefi order. ar rder exceeding $18.7 billion. Supplier indusexceeding $18.7 billion. Supplier indusx n 8. b l on. upp ie indusppl dustries the airport abound throughout trie trie to t he airport abound throughout ies ie i r po t u h oughout hout the t h county and a ll the county and all its municipalities, ny ll municipalities, unicipal s, unicip lities, p spilling over into south Fulton and the spilling over into south Fulton and the p ve i o u e ulton n h o City Atlant C Cit y of Atlanta. The airport’s mere presanta. t airport’s mer preso s mere res er ence and its accessibility to any business enc ence d its accessibility to any business n it cc i ty y business sine s locating n wh loc ting any where locating anywhere in Georgia is a plus, ca Georgia is rgia attracting business a attracti g business to countless jurisdicting usin tions t tions that need economic development. Here, too, the airport’s industrial “partner” since the early 1930s, Delta Air Lines, operates the world’s largest airline hub, and also calls Clayton County home, its facilities encompassing South Fulton and many local municipalities as and nd loca l municipalities cm well. AirTran Airways also operates its . AirTran AirT Ai r largest hub largest hub here, and Hartsfield-Jackson rges rg r itself itself is itself is the primary hub of Delta, Airlf p primary b of Delta, Airy elta el a A i r Tran d Delta Connection part er, AtTr Tran and Delta Connection partner, Atelta onnectio partner, t el nection rtne lantic Southeast Airlines. lantic Southeast Airlines. (For more o a out he ea r s. r more on ore the airport’s impact on Clayton County airport’s impact the airp t h p Clay o County Cl yton County un and th state, see sidebar on page 28.) and the state, see sidebar on page 28.) n the t ee side page 8. 8.) Having behemoth industry like Having a behemot h industry like h moth d t du ike k Hartsfield-Jackson International in the eld-Jackson International in the Hartsfi -J k n nte nationa l J ernati nal county’s “front yard” has not deterred “fron yard ” has not deter ed f front rd h d o det terr d population growth in Clayton County. In h in Clayton ay addition to the 100,000 or so people vis100,000 or so people 000 p iting, traveling or driving daily through r dr dai throug daily th gh ily il its busy transportatio network, more transportation network, more nsport ion s rtat rk ore than 251,000 residents call the county 251,000 resid ts c 0 0 e idents co county home. Because it is one of the smallest Because it is one of t he sma llest eca on mall ma lles Georgia counties in terms Georgia counties in terms of land area g gi unt term term d a at just 146 square miles, its ever-growing just 146 square miles, it ever-growing us 4 square a s its ow population state’s pop a i n population ranks it among the state’s ks ks it s s most densely populated jurisdictions. densely populated s nsely populat y Still, Clayton County prides itself n Still, Clayton County prides its on tl yton Co de tself a ‘sma ll-town’ feel, augmented by out‘small-town’ feel, augmented by outal ne en standing sma ll business opportunitie standing small business opportunities, tandi g m l ding ne o unities, first-r rst-rate rec atio and first-rate recreation and human service ecreation an atio serv c serv ice v facilities, and accessib top-flight medifaciliti s, and accessible, top-fl ight medicili cilities acce sible, b td cal care. The count y also offers the lowest l care. The county care nty he he lowest s millage rate in the Metro Atlanta region, millag millag a millage rate in the lage Atlanta region, la a reg n a border-to bo der Class 3 ISO rating, border-to-border Class I r-t bord -toas rating, ng, the presence of prominent institutions presence the presenc of prominent institutions ce ro inent to including Clayton State College and State College and tC n University, the Georgia Arch Georgia A chives and e gi Archives nd National Archives Southeast HeadquarSout he t Headquaru heast arters, and is certified as a StormReady ed certifie as StormReady Sto a Community by the Georgia Emergency e Georgia Em g Emergency ny Management Agenc y (GEMA) Agency (GEMA). (GEMA). c Clayton County, too, bo sts several County, t o boast several y too, boasts el state-of-the art or award-w nning en iaward-winning enviaward-winning envi ronmental facilities, including a landfi ll facilities, including landfi s ncluding landfill u slated to meet the coun y’s sol d waste county’s soli w t ount y’s solid waste needs for the next 50 years, and a nationyears, d ation0 year and nationally acclaimed self-sustaining water recself-sustaining water recs s ining ater reclamation system, which has garnered the which has g nered the h ch garnered h prestigious distinction of being named distinction being named tn i a Facility of the Year by the Georgia Asr by the Georgi Ash Georgia A i sociation of Water Professionals. (See r Profession ls. (See fessiona sidebar on page 34.) Clayton County is also home to the y s also home o he second largest convent convention and exhibi n ntion and exhibin hibii tion facility in the state, the Georgia Instate, the Ge th Inn ternational Convention & Trade Center Convention Trade Center n rad e e a in College Park, which features 329,000 which features 329,000 h h eatures 3 9 0 square feet of exhibit space. High hopes exhibit spac . High hopes b pace Hi h opes exist for this facility to become an interfacilit y o become n interacili c ity m n national meeting destination, and the meeting d ination and the ting desti at on, a h Clayton Cou ty D Clay ton County Development A t horlay t Coun Development Aut oropment Authority, Chamber of Commerce and county Chamber Commerce and count y ham C m erce d oun government have major plans to bolster plans government m pla s bolster e the center, in tandem with local re-decent r center, n re-dee velopment p lans. velopment plans. pmen pment p ans n Economic Engine Unique n the State Economic Engin Unique in the State c g in ne i e Stat State U.S. Interstate highways 75, 85, 285 Interstate highways 75, 85, 28 rs t highways 5, a and all lie and 675 all lie within t he count y or n a l within the county r h n h ount nty proximal to it v ia a short interstate trip pr r l to via short interstate trip h t n erstat r p – another legac y of the county’s siting legacy r legac f the count y’s sit ng e cy h count y’s itin coun s as home to the airport, which has fus e to t he airport, wh h ha f uhe o ha eled ele such growth and prosperity over t h eled s ed grow th and prosperity o the wh ro os y over past 50 years here, it is hard to separate hard y r here, t is hard o separate years he e the county from its predominant comcounty from s predominant the c unty fro n rom p ina inan n mercial merc a industry. mercial industry Hartsfield-Jackson is mercia l industry. Hartsfield-Jackson is u ry -Ja kson today the world ’s today the world’s busiest airport by the day t rld airp air or t y t he measure passenger t ffi measure of passenger traffic and landsur ass g d landn ings and takeoffs employs approx imateings and takeoffs, employs approximateng nd tak offs, p o pproxim o ly 55,300 airline, ground transportation, y 55,300 airlin ground transportation, 5,30 300 0 ine, roun r p ation, u concessionaire, security, federa l governconcessionaire, secu ty, federal governoncession n curity federa gove n r vern ment, Atlanta n air airport e men City of Atlan and airport tenment, City of At lanta and airpor t ten ant employee and has payroll of $2.4 ant employees and has a payroll of $2.4 t employees n y pa ol 2.4 billion. The airport’s direct and indirect billion bi lion. The airport’s di ect and indirect on. irport’s direct p ’s ir nd http://www.accg.org

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Georgia County Government - May 2008

Georgia County Government - May 2008 Contents President’s Message County Matters ACCG 2008 Annual Meeting: Highlights County Focus: Clayton County Negotiating a Professional Service Firm Contract: Part 3 Counties Get Involved in Efforts to End Sexual Abuse of Children Smart Growth Scorecard Gives Communities a Way to Grade New Developments Wireless Technologies Critical for First Responders Research Corner: The ACCG Policy Process RDCs Assist the USS Georgia Flag Project Extension News: Animals Take Spotlight in Disaster Planning Georgia’s Grand Old Courthouses: Grady County NACo News: Green Initiative Launches Searchable Database Insurance News: ACCG Announces New Inmate Medical Savings Program County Parade Index of Advertisers

Georgia County Government - May 2008

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