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^Reporter
December 31, 2008
Monroe Co. ranks 20th in state
A ndrews: D emographics a mixed blessing for Monroe Area counties
rankings*
BY WILL DAVIS
Monroe County ranks as having
one of the best overall economies in
the state, according to a new ranking
of all 159 counties published by the
Georgia Department of Community
Affairs (DCA).
Monroe County comes in at No. 20
in economics out of the state’s 159
counties, according to rankings put
out by the DCA. Called the Job Tax
Credit Rankings, the standings are
used to determine how much tax
credits a business would get for cre
ating new jobs in a certain county.
Monroe County moved up in the
rankings in 2008, as the county was
25th out of 159 counties last year.
Using stats like unemployment
rates, per capita income and the
number of families below the poverty
level, the state ranks each of
Georgia’s 159 counties and puts
them in four categories, Tiers 1-4.
Tier 4 counties are considered the
wealthiest and Tier 1 counties are
considered the poorest.
Monroe is currently categorized as
Tier 3. But the county is just two
slots away from being Tier 4, for
which the state offers the fewest
incentives for job creation. In Tier 4
counties, businesses must create 25
jobs to get a $750 tax credit per job.
By contrast, in Tier 3 counties, busi
nesses only have to create 15 jobs to
receive a $1,250 credit per job.
The poorest county was Hancock
County, with the county seat of
Sparta. Meanwhile, Oconee County, a
bedroom community around
Watkinsville and a suburb of Athens,
ranked as the wealthiest.
Monroe County came in at No. 20,
just missing Tier 4 status.
Tiffany Andrews, director of the
Development Authority of Monroe
County, said the county scores well
because of its
affluent areas
at the north
ern and
southern
ends of the
county. She
said the coun
ty is fortu
nate to have
these higher-
end subdivi
sions con
tributing to
the tax base.
But she said
the county’s
strong rating
hurts its abil
ity to use tax
credits to lure industry to the county,
and she said it will make it even
harder if the county leaps into Tier
4.
18. Houston
20. MONROE
21. Henry
30. Jones
56. Crawford
67. Butts
69. Bibb
73. Lamar
117. Upson
* Rankings from the
Georgia Department
of Community Affairs
using jobless rates,
per capita income and
poverty rate, out of
159 counties in Ga.
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New Wal-Mart
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The people trying to run off
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W^BOUD
www.mymcr. net/vent
lu Til
Have something pithy, wise
and/or funny to say about life in
Monroe County? Let 'er rip in
the Reporter's new on-line MCR
vent. Find it atwww.mymcr.net
and click on Vent
of Chief Clifton, rank: 7
Sometimes in the future
we're going to have to build
a bridge somewhere over or
under the railroad tracks,
rank: 3
Couldn’t commissioners
put a new administrative
building on property the
county already owns behind
the library? They need to
tear down the old sheriff's
office that sits there anyway.
At least that land is in town,
rank: 1
County Commimssioners
start the new year with a
fresh approach and a better
attitude than before for the
citizens of Monroe County,
rank: -3
Sunday Services
10:30 AM
jUt./ioiA
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7015 Rivoli Rd.
Macon, GA 31210
Bolingbroke 4s,
Pate Rd.
Bass Rd.
(478) 994-0838
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