Michele Johnson President | Greater Vidalia Chamber of Commerce
Michele Johnson President | Greater Vidalia Chamber of Commerce
Since 2023, successful economic development initiatives in cities such as Douglas, Moultrie, and Gainesville have prompted discussions among the City of Vidalia, the City of Lyons, and Toombs County about establishing Tax Allocation Districts (TADs). Over the past year and a half, these municipalities have approved measures requesting local legislation to grant them redevelopment powers. The Greater Vidalia Chamber and Toombs County Development Authority support this initiative, advocating for TADs' establishment. Legislation has been introduced in the Georgia General Assembly to facilitate this process. If signed by the governor, voters will decide on approving redevelopment powers in November 2025.
The Chamber's inaugural program for 2025, titled "State of Community, State of Economic Development – Empowering Revitalization," aimed to familiarize the community with TADs. Redevelopment is a key component of economic growth; having redevelopment powers like TADs can fund projects effectively without imposing additional taxes. The Chamber hopes that the session clarified potential benefits and addressed voter concerns.
The event took place on February 18th at Lyons First Baptist Church and featured expert speakers Andy Camp from Thomas & Hutton and Chris Pumphrey from Elevate Douglas Economic Partnership. Their panel discussion emphasized TADs' significant role in community revitalization.
Presented By: Brown Companies
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