|
|
GEFA Approves $85.5 million in Infrastructure Projects
9/1/2010
GEFA recently announced the approval of financing for nine infrastructure projects totaling $85.5 million.
|
|
|
|
Atlanta Mayor Offers Plan to Council on Tax Reform
8/26/2010
Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed presented his vision for improving the State of Georgia’s revenue structure to the Special Council on Tax Reform and Fairness for Georgians.
|
Mandatory Collective Bargaining Dead, for Now
Carolyn Coleman, National League of Cities
8/16/2010
Recent efforts to pass mandatory federal collective bargaining legislation failed.
|
Changes to Ethics Act Impacts Filers
8/12/2010
Passage of the Georgia Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Act of 2010 will impact local filing officers, as well as each local candidate and public officer in the state.
|
Mayor Walks the Walk of City History, Wellness
8/12/2010
A walk with McDonough Mayor Billy Copeland is a walk through the city’s history – and a way of ensuring a healthier future
|
DOT Releases Draft Criteria for Regional Transportation Tax
8/6/2010
Georgia DOT Planning Director Todd Long recently released the draft regional criteria for investments that can be funded with revenues from a regional transportation tax in 2012.
|
|
|
|
Local Governments Cutting Jobs and Services
National League of Cities
7/27/2010
New survey research shows that local governments are now facing a fiscal crisis that will force job losses approaching 500,000 and significant cuts in much needed public services.
|
Study says Georgia has shortchanged Hall County
Gainesville Times
7/27/2010
A study commissioned by Hall County local governments estimates the state has shortchanged the county more than $25 million in sales tax revenue over three years.
|
Three Water/Sewer Projects Awarded Loans
7/22/2010
Governor Sonny Perdue recently announced that the GEFA executive committee approved the financing for three environmental infrastructure projects totaling $4.2 million.
|
Tour of Savannah Port Results in New GMA Legislative Policy
7/21/2010
GMA's Legislative Policy Council recently approved a new policy encouraging Georgia’s congressional delegation to “aggressively” seek approval of $119 million in funding to deepen the Savannah Harbor.
|
Requirements for Municipal Training Certificates to Change
7/15/2010
In 2009, the Municipal Training Board added a new level of certificate, The Certificate of Distinction, and also voted to change the requirements for other levels of certificate. These new requirements take effect in January 2011.
|
|
|
|
Three Inducted into Municipal Hall of Fame
6/28/2010
GMA inducted former Monroe Mayor Knox Bell, retired Calhoun city administrator Cathy Harrison and current Aldora Mayor and former Barnesville Mayor Jimmy Matthews into the Municipal Government Hall of Fame at the association's annual convention in Savannah.
|
Steele Elected GMA President
6/28/2010
Fayetteville Mayor Ken Steele was elected president of the GMA during the association’s annual meeting in Savannah June 28.
|
Five cities, one county recognized for ethics ordinance
6/28/2010
Five cities and one county were recognized for their ethics ordinance during GMA's Annual Convention in Savannah.
|
Madison Developers Win Renaissance Award
6/27/2010
Madison developers Jane and Everett Royal have been selected as the 2010 recipients of the Georgia Cities Foundation’s “Renaissance Award.”
|
Sandy Springs Mayor Receives ‘People, Place & Purpose’ Award
6/27/2010
Sandy Springs Mayor Eva Galambos received the “People, Place and Purpose” Award from GMA during the association’s annual meeting in Savannah June 27.
|
Local Jobs for America Act Introduced in the Senate
Stacey Levitt, National League of Cities
6/21/2010
The Local Jobs for America Act was recently introduced in the U.S. Senate, a companion to legislation that was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives earlier this year.
|
City Officials Talk Politics and Policy
6/15/2010
If the July primaries were held today, the opinion of city officials on who would win the Republican and Democratic primaries track most other polls. But who city officials think would win the general election might surprise some.
|
Obama pushes for more state aid
Daniel C. Vock, Stateline.org
6/14/2010
President Obama took up the cause of state and local governments as he urged congressional leaders to boost funding for health care and schools.
|
Mandatory Collective Bargaining Legislation on Hold — For Now
Neil Bomberg, National League of Cities
6/7/2010
Efforts by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) to attach the Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act as an amendment to another bill once again failed.
|
Swainsboro Gets Creative to Market Downtown, Fill Vacancies
6/4/2010
There were very few days in early 2009 that the news didn’t mention how the ailing economy was affecting Main Street America.
|
Health Promotion Grants Awarded
6/4/2010
More than $120,000 was recently distributed to 24 members of the Georgia Municipal Employees Benefit System (GMEBS) Life and Health Insurance Fund to create or improve existing work place health promotion and wellness programs.
|
|
|
|
Audio: New ACCG Executive Director Addresses LPC
5/26/2010
New ACCG Executive Director Ross King addressed GMA's Legislative Policy Council in Macon on May 20.
|
Report Finds Continued Decline in Local Fiscal Conditions
Christiana McFarland, National League of Cities
5/26/2010
From employment to the stability of the housing market, signs of growth that may be making their way into the national picture are not yet evident in many local economies across the country.
|
NLC Makes Push for Livable Communities Act
Mike Wallace & Leslie Wollack, National League of Cities
5/17/2010
The National League of Cities is pursuing a number of strategies in support of the Livable Communities Act currently before Congress, including addressing concerns that rural communities may not be adequately addressed by the initiative.
|
$6.9 million in funding for infrastructure projects approved
5/14/2010
Governor Sonny Perdue recently announced the approval of funding for five environmental infrastructure projects totaling $6.9 million.
|
Federal Water Infrastructure Legislation Introduced
Carolyn Berndt, National League of Cities
5/10/2010
Two separate pieces of legislation introduced in the Senate and House demonstrate a Congressional focus on water infrastructure and clean water issues.
|
|
|
|
The 'Amazon tax' war escalates
Jake Grovum, Special to Stateline.org
4/26/2010
Every consumer knows that shopping online can be a handy way to avoid paying sales tax on books, CDs and electronics. But not nearly as many know that they're still supposed to pay tax on these purchases.
|
Transportation bill triggers complex machinations
Savannah Morning News
4/26/2010
If getting the General Assembly to finally agree on a transportation-funding plan after three years sounds complicated and plagued by politics, wait until the leaders of 500 cities and 159 counties try to come to terms.
|
Federal Mandatory Collective Bargaining Legislation Poised to Pass
Neil Bomberg, National League of Cities
4/19/2010
The Senate and House last week moved one step closer to passing a federal mandatory collective bargaining bill.
|
Audio: GMA update on 2010 Legislative Session
4/16/2010
GMA's Lamar Norton highlights some of the remaining legislative issues important to city officials.
|
Rating Agencies Move to Recalibrate City Ratings
Lars Etzkorn, National League of Cities
4/12/2010
All three major credit-rating services are moving to rate municipal debt based on the likelihood of default, which is the standard used for corporate debt.
|
State Offering 80-100 Percent Subsidy For Adult & Youth Employment
4/6/2010
Cities with staffing needs and tight budgets are encouraged to consider the Jobs for Georgians and TeenWork programs.
|
Winners Chosen in "If I Were Mayor, I Would..." Essay Contest
4/1/2010
More than 6,200 6th graders in Georgia tackled the topic of what they would if they were mayor in GMA's 10th annual "If I Were Mayor, I Would . . ." essay contest.
|
|
|
|
Recovery Zone Bond Re-allocation
3/26/2010
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 created two new bond programs: Recovery Zone Economic Development Bonds and Recovery Zone Facility Bonds.
|
Energy efficiency and renewable energy projects funded
3/26/2010
Sixty-four communities in Georgia have earned grant funds for energy efficiency and renewable energy projects through the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) program.
|
$46 Million for Water and Sewer Projects Approved
3/23/2010
Gov. Perdue recently announced that GEFA has approved $46 million in funding for seven environmental infrastructure projects.
|
City Officials Join Ride and Rally for Improved Bicycling Conditions
3/23/2010
More than 1,000 cyclists, including several metro Atlanta mayors and council members, biked their way to the State Capitol building on March 23 as part of the Georgia Rides to the Capitol event.
|
Ten Communities to Receive Historic Preservation Grants
3/16/2010
Ten Georgia communities will be receiving a federally funded grant to conduct historic preservation projects.
|
NLC Testifies Against Federal Collective Bargaining Legislation
Neil Bomberg, National League of Cities
3/15/2010
The Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act of 2009 would require that every state, county, city and town collectively bargain with their police officers, firefighters, emergency medical technicians and corrections officers, regardless of state and local laws.
|
State Owes Local Governments $18 Million
3/10/2010
Georgia Attorney General Thurbert Baker, in an Official Opinion requested by Lt. Governor Casey Cagle, has said that the state owes local governments $18 million in unidentified sales taxes.
|
Negotiations for Service Delivery Requires Strategy
3/8/2010
A number of Georgia cities are or will soon be engaged in the delicate process of negotiating a new service delivery strategy (SDS) with its county or counties. It’s not always an easy process.
|
Concerns flow about transportation funding bill
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
3/3/2010
A staid subcommittee meeting at the Capitol on Tuesday morphed into a local uprising against the heavy hand of the state, as interest groups poured out their concerns to legislators about Gov. Sonny Perdue’s transportation funding bill.
|
|