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Chairman's Column page 2 New Chamber Leadership Team, page 2 TSPLOST Updates and Projects pages 4 -5 Upcoming Events page 6 Member Announcements page 10 Ribbon Cuttings page 12 New Members page 13 Small Business Development page 14 Education & Workforce page 15
Governor Deal outlines his support for transportation infrastructure projects and the TSPLOST Referendum Georgia’s history of progress is, in part, a tale of investment in transportation. Beginning with the port of Savannah in the 1700s and an extensive rail network in the 1800s, Georgia grew strong and prosperous because our ancestors understood the importance of building these vital economic connections. It happened again after World War II with the development of the world’s most utilized international airport. We became the leader of the New South when we Governor Nathan Deal added a first-rate highway system that tied together our rural and urban communities and connected Georgia to the rest of our country. Today, after decades of inadequate and inefficient transportation investment, our future economic growth is threatened by crumbling infrastructure and inadequate capacity. We are now challenged to invest in our continued growth and prosperity, and it is critical that we, like our ancestors, step up to the generational responsibility of maintaining and expanding our state’s transportation network. That challenge will appear on the ballot this July in each of the state’s 12 transportation regions. Georgians will be asked to approve a one-percent increase in the sales tax to fund strategic transportation infrastructure projects. Reaching this decision point was a sometimes challenging exercise in local and statewide planning and cooperation. For almost a year,
city and county officials in each region compiled lists of important improvements. The Georgia Department of Transportation studied those lists and coordinated the requests. The result is a plan for $16-19 billion worth of projects to be funded over the next 10 years by the onepercent increase. Here’s why this process makes sense for Georgia: • Local officials and citizens – those most knowledgeable about local needs – put together the lists. • Funds for those projects will be raised and spent entirely within those districts. The first 75 percent will fund each region’s projects and the remaining 25 percent will be given to the region’s cities and counties to spend on hometown transportation improvements with the greatest impact. In other words, local decision makers determined local transportation needs and will receive 100 percent of the new revenues in their region to address those needs. Local communities are taking care of themselves, not waiting for action from Washington. Continued on page 5. Transportation Referendum
VOTE on JULY 31
The TSPLOST vote is July 31. Vote early starting July 9 at the Hall County Elections Office in the new Hall County Government Center, 2875 Browns Bridge Road at McEver Road in Gainesville. For a list of projects, maps and detailed TSPLOST information for the Georgia Mountains Region, visit online: ConnectGeorgiaMountains.org
Save the Date Thursday, July 10 South Hall Business Coalition Tuesday, July 31 TSPLOST Voter Referendum Tuesday, August 14 Small Business Success Seminar
J U LY 2012
NORTH GEORGIA CHRISTIAN SCHOOL A Publication of the Greater Hall Chamber of Commerce