Sen. Max Burns (R – Sylvania) has been appointed by Lt. Governor Geoff Duncan to serve as Chairman of the Senate Development Authorities and Downtown Development Authorities Study Committee.
“While Georgia is home to large economic centers such as Atlanta and Savannah, our state’s small businesses that line main streets and city squares are the backbone of the state’s economy,” said Sen. Burns. “While local development authorities are responsible for much of the prosperity we see in our small towns, the state currently lacks any oversight of these authorities or data on millions of dollars of tax abatements issued by them. I am honored to serve as Chairman of this study committee to determine ways in which we can maximize the benefit brought to our communities by local development authorities, while also ensuring proper safeguards are in place to protect taxpayers from abuse.”
The Senate Development Authorities and Downtown Development Authorities Study Committee was created through the adoption of Senate Resolution 809 during the 2022 Legislative Session. The committee will be tasked with examining the role of local development authorities and downtown development authorities and identifying potential legislative solutions to provide the state greater oversight.
You can read the full text of SR 809 here: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/63125.
