ATLANTA – What would become Georgia’s 10th largest municipality – and one that could prove financially devastating to the city of Atlanta – had the undivided attention Monday of several lawmakers from around the state.
A proposed city of Buckhead would carve about 25 square miles – or about 18% of the city of Atlanta’s land area – as well include about 20% of the city’s population. It would also cost the city of Atlanta more than $250 million in property, sales and lodging taxes, as well as business license revenues.
Those figures come from a KB Advisory Group analysis, and a joint House Study Committee on Annexation and Cityhood and the Governmental Affairs Committee heard testimony from several officials about how a city of Buckhead would impact Atlanta and the state.
“There is a lot of interest in cityhood,” said state Rep. Darlene Taylor, R-Thomasville, who noted Monday’s meeting wasn’t designed to debate the merits of any cityhood bill, but the overall process of creating new cities. Monday’s meeting was the fourth of five proposed meetings on cityhood creation in Georgia.
But Tom Gehl, director of government relations for the Georgia Municipal Association (GMA), warned lawmakers of the hazards involved in creating new cities from existing ones.
“The GMA is opposed to carving out new cities from existing cities,” he said. “If you don’t account for the debt that’s being incurred, you’re jeopardizing the municipal frameworks of cities around the state when they go to the bond market. That’s a frightening prospect.”
State Rep. Bee Nguyen, D-Atlanta, who is also running for secretary of state, said when lawmakers agree to carve out new cities from existing ones, that has an impact around the state.
Valdosta State University’s Center for Regional Impact also has provided a Buckhead city feasibility study, in which it found such a city to be “financially feasible.”
“The proposed Buckhead City should expect annual revenue of approximately $203,521,892 and annual expenses of approximately $89,921,825,” the report said. “Based on budget projections, Buckhead City would realize a surplus of $113,600,067 under current property valuations and applicable millage rates.
“Subsequently, Buckhead City could offer property owners a significant reduction in property taxes, enhanced and/or new services for city residents, or a combination thereof.”
The KB Advisory study also found the city of Atlanta could save up to $178 million by not having to provide various services to Buckhead.
“Despite the cost savings, the city of Atlanta would be financially worse off if the Buckhead area de-annexes, with net fiscal losses to the city of Atlanta ranging from an estimated $80 million to $116 million annually,” the report said, adding Atlanta Public Schools would lose $232 million from its coffers.
This story is available through a news partnership with Capitol Beat News Service, a project of the Georgia Press Educational Foundation.
ATLANTA – Despite the federal government’s recent rationing of the monoclonal treatment supplies each state is receiving, Georgia seems to be in no imminent danger of the treatments running out.
“About a month ago, the federal government completely changed the distribution process for these treatments,” Gov. Brian Kemp said Thursday. “Now, the states get weekly allocations and have to determine where those treatment doses are sent, based on utilization and reporting. … In short, we’re being capped on our allocations.”
Kemp said several weeks ago the state had received more than 10,000 doses of the treatment.
“Last week, we were allocated 8,200 doses, and our current allocation is 7,890, and we’ll continue to distribute those treatments to anyone who tests positive,” he said. “However, those treatments are still secondary to vaccinations.”
Monoclonal antibodies are synthetic, laboratory-created antibodies. They help people at high risk for severe COVID illness, individuals who have tested positive within 10 days for the virus, or people who are in close contact with those who have tested positive for COVID-19.
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the decision to change the distribution process is because of supply shortages and rising demand for the treatments across the U.S., especially with the spread of COVID-19’s delta variant.
HHS is now determining each state’s weekly allocation of monoclonal antibody products based on use and the number of new COVID cases. The Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) will identify which sites in the state will receive the product and the amount each site receives.
Health-care providers are now required to record their administration of the products in order to receive future shipments.
DPH Commissioner Dr. Kathleen Toomey said supply and demand for the treatments are trending downward, as are the number of overall coronavirus cases.
“We have plenty now, and there are no reports of shortages that I’m aware of,” Toomey said Thursday.
There are currently 136 locations in Georgia where monoclonal antibody treatments are being administered.
Phoebe Putney Health System is one of those providers, located in southwest Georgia. Jane Gray, senior vice president, confirmed shipments have been reduced as demand has gone down.
“We have substantial inventory at the moment, and we’re putting signage out at our testing sites regarding the treatments,” Gray said. “We are big believers in its effectiveness, but vaccines remain the best option.
“Until the treatments became available, we had no real options for outpatient treatment. Since these antibody treatments have become available, we’ve had many reports of people who were feeling better in as little as one day after receiving them.”
Gray said the treatments can be used on anyone who has tested COVID positive within 10 days, regardless of the patient’s vaccination status.
“Outside of that 10-day window, you’re no longer eligible for the monoclonal treatments,” she said.
As treatment supplies remain plentiful in Georgia, the state doesn’t seem inclined to follow Florida and Texas in their efforts to obtain their own monoclonal antibody supplies or block federal intrusion into how they’re distributed.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said his state has bypassed the Biden administration’s limits on monoclonal antibodies by obtaining its own supply. On Friday, his office also announced it has opened another antibody infusion center, the latest among 23 the state has opened in recent months.
Abbott’s office said it is working with the Texas Department of Emergency Management and its Department of State Health Services to expand antibody infusion centers.
These state-sponsored infusion centers are in addition to the infusion treatment centers provided by more than 200 private health-care providers across the state.
Meanwhile, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., and six Senate Republican colleagues are sponsoring the Treatment Restoration for Emergency Antibody Therapeutics Act. The bill would prohibit HHS from implementing policies restricting hospitals and other health- care facilities from ordering and receiving the treatments directly from manufacturers and distributors.
Rubio has been outspoken over HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra’s decision to ration the treatments.
“This decision was made without providing the Florida Department of Health or health-care providers any time to prepare for this dramatic shift … leaving Florida providers scrambling for information and a path forward for previously scheduled appointments of this life-saving therapy,” Rubio said.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Thursday that seven states make up roughly 70% of the requests for monoclonal antibody treatments.
This story is available through a news partnership with Capitol Beat News Service, a project of the Georgia Press Educational Foundation.
ATLANTA –Georgia’s rural schoolsare about to receive a first round of funding initiatives designed to expand internet connectivity, develop new literacy skills and promote their workforce development, among other goals.
The state Board of Education voted Friday to approve a series of initiatives recommended by the new Georgia Department of Education’s (GaDOE) Office of Rural Education and Innovation.
Established in July, the office’s goal is to address educational needs in rural schools and districts and provide a voice for the needs of rural Georgia in K-12 education policy.
The funding initiatives include:
$1.72 million to 43 school districts to expand broadband connectivity. Gov. Brian Kemp directed federal COVID-19 relief funds to double the bandwidth for every K-12 school. Most school districts have the capacity within their network equipment to utilize the additional bandwidth, but 43 districts will need to procure additional network equipment. Click here for the list of funded districts.
more than $18 million to 22 school districts to support districtwide literacy plans designed to improve student literacy learning, instruction, school climate, and development of community partnerships. Click here for the list of selected districts.
$10,000 grants to each of four school districts – Ben Hill County Schools, Clay County Schools, Lumpkin County Schools, and Twiggs County Schools – to help them develop school-based health clinics.
This story is available through a news partnership with Capitol Beat News Service, a project of the Georgia Press Educational Foundation.
ATLANTA – Gov. Brian Kemp doubled down Thursday on his opposition to any federal mandates requiring Americans to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
“This would be a massive federal government overreach,” Kemp said during a news conference updating the status of the virus in Georgia.
The governor touted new state Department of Public Health figures that, he said, show more than 53% of Georgians are fully vaccinated. He also said more than 64% of Georgians have received at least one shot.
“It’s not just about vaccines anymore,” Kemp said, arguing any Washington, D.C.-mandates would hurt “hardworking Georgians who work for small business, and those small business owners.
“Mandates would impose unnecessary, outrageous fines,” Kemp said, adding that he is working with Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr and others to file lawsuits should the White House require vaccines.
As of Thursday, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health, there have been more than 1.2 million confirmed coronavirus cases in Georgia, along with 22,354 deaths and 80,648 hospitalizations since the pandemic began.
Kemp and state Commissioner of Public Health Dr. Kathleen Toomey said hospitalizations in Georgia have dropped by one-third over the last seven days.
Dr. Kathleen Toomey updated Georgians on COVID, along with Gov. Brian Kemp.
Toomey also urged Georgians to get a highly recommended booster shot which, she said, can be administered with an annual flu shot.
This story is available through a news partnership with Capitol Beat News Service, a project of the Georgia Press Educational Foundation.
ATLANTA – Thanks to the COVID pandemic, civil unrest and violent crime wave, Georgia’s Department of Public Safety (DPS) has suffered a 60% reduction in the number of state trooper applications over the last 18 months.
During a state Senate study committee meeting Thursday, DPS chief of staff Josh Lamb told senators the 745 troopers on the state agency’s current payroll and 223 motor-carrier officers are the lowest in his 24 years of service.
“In 2020, the department lost 87 troopers either due to retirement, resignation or termination,” Lamb said. “And now, retention has become as big an issue as recruitment. We’re having a tough time getting them into the front door and an equally tough time keeping them from leaving through the back door.”
The committee was meeting to hear from different state departments on their current number of employees and the overall health of the state’s retirement program.
Lamb was asked by state Sen. Elena Parent, D-Atlanta, how the department’s pay scale compares to other jurisdictions.
“We’ve raised the starting trooper’s salary from $36,832 to $47,350, and that’s still not enough,” Lamb said. “Sandy Springs just revamped their pay scale to a starting salary of $52,641, and for the Atlanta Police Department, for prior-sworn officers, that pay scale begins at $54,440.”
Lamb also said his department has shortened its trooper school for prior-sworn officers from 34 weeks to 13 weeks.
Nonetheless, DPS has seen an overall turnover rate of 22% over the last two to three years. The troopers lost in 2020 alone represented a $7.8 million DPS investment, Lamb said.
This story is available through a news partnership with Capitol Beat News Service, a project of the Georgia Press Educational Foundation.
