Georgia County Government - October 2008 - (Page 17) SOUTH GEORGIA continued from page 15 Georgia with increasing rapidity and in new ways, many of which have been unanticipated. Pulling together and pooling resources in this region is critical, officials say, to make the most of opportunities as they present themselves. The South Georgia Regional Development Center (RDC) serves nine counties within the region. Of these, Cook, Tift and Turner (along with Worth) are involved in a joint economic development authority, and seven others – Clinch, Cook, Brooks, Berrien, Lowndes, Lanier and Echols – also comprise another joint economic development authority, and both joint authorities work together to find prospective industries and land them for the region. As Tift County Chairman Grady Thompson points out, “Our common goal is basically the same – economic development, and survival.” Virtually all officials here agree, what’s good for one county here is good for all. South Georgia RDC Executive Director John L. Leonard explains: “If something good happens in the region – for instance, in Cook County – we all see it as happening in surrounding counties, too. If you removed the county borders in the region, truly, we’d all still have one community.” “That’s the way it’s always been in South Georgia,” agrees Waldron, a The partners working to improve economic opportunity in South Georgia include (from left) South Georgia RDC Assistant Executive Director Marty LeFiles, RDC Executive Director John Leonard, RDC Planning Directory Julia Shewchuk, Tift County Manager Jim Carter, Tift County Chairman Grady Thompson, RDC Executive Assistant Sherry Davidson and Tift County Economic Development Director Brad Day. veteran city manager in Quitman and Thomaston, in years past. “We compete not with each other for economic development projects, but with other regions, to get an industry into this region. Once it’s in the region, we’ve all got it.” Waldron also points out, “The commute here between jurisdictions is easy, and everybody is used to it. We know that what one county has benefits us all.” RDC Executive Director John Leonard (left) and Assistant Executive Director Marty LeFiles (far right) with Echols County Chairman Robert Davis, Vice Chairman Leon Zieglar and County Clerk Brenda Stalvey, with RDC staffers Sherry Davidson and Julie Shewchuk. Not every South Georgia county is alike, however. In fact, some counties here are unique. Echols County, which recently consolidated its government by incorporating, for instance, contains not even one municipality. (And is the only county in Georgia that has no city government.) Now, as a newly incorporated local government with some 4,000 residents, consolidation, however, is desirable insofar as it will simplify the county’s ability to implement zoning and meet the service demands of anticipated growth, according to Chairman Robert Davis. Davis says it was deemed a necessity to make the transition to a consolidated government, in part, because of growth. “The county’s population growth has bourgeoned 60 percent since the 2000 census – a rate of growth which may seem commonplace in more urban counties, but is relatively dramatic in such a rural jurisdiction.” While each county in the region, indeed, cleaves to its own unique identity, they’re all unified when it comes to their common goals, however. These are bolstering visibility, cultivating new and better economic development and job opportunities, workforce development initiatives, and planning regionally and individually to shape desirable growth SOUTH GEORGIA continued on page 18 OCTOBER 2008 www.accg.org 17 http://www.accg.org
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