In a year in which lawmakers had to tighten the state's fiscal belt because of the slowing economy, one category of spending wasn't forced onto a diet.

Lawmakers poured as much money into special local projects as last year, approving tens of millions of dollars for everything from hometown ballfields and small-town tourism promotion to new libraries, county airport facilities and costly college buildings.

Ben Gray/AJC (ENLARGE)

The 2008 Legislature ended at midnight April 4, and a lot of money went to special local projects in the final hours.

RELATED LINKS: • List of some local projects • More about this year's Legislature

The spending included 470 local assistance grants that were not revealed to the public until hours before the 2008 legislative session ended. The $6 million in grants were just about the last thing budget-writers add to budget before approving it on the final day of the session.

In addition, lawmakers sprinkled millions of dollars in big-ticket items such as local construction projects throughout the budget, many in the districts of prominent lawmakers such as Speaker Glenn Richardson (R-Hiram), House Majority Leader Jerry Keen (R-St. Simons Island) and Senate Majority Leader Tommie Williams (R-Lyons).

The budget for fiscal 2009, which begins July 1, includes more than $1 billion in local construction projects.

Even Gov. Sonny Perdue, who has not been on the best terms with House leaders, got $2 million for a new library in his home Houston County and $7.3 million for a local horse barn and practice ring.

House Appropriations Chairman Ben Harbin (R-Evans), who helped secure money for his hometown Little League program as well as more than $75 million in projects at the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta, defended the local spending.

"That money belongs to the taxpayers, and if we can get it into those communities, and it benefits those communities, it benefits the whole state," Harbin said.

Joe McCutchen of Ellijay, a retiree who publishes a political newsletter, sees local projects differently.

He called it "ridiculous" for lawmakers to expect taxpayers statewide to fund things like improvements at the hometown airports for Richardson and Keen.

"If I want improvements at my local airport, you in Atlanta shouldn't have to pay for it," McCutchen said.

The projects were approved despite the fact that Perdue lowered his projection of state revenue for next year by $245 million in March because of the slow economy. Lawmakers had to cut that spending to balance the budget. As a result, House leaders decided to forgo a promise to stop school spending cuts Perdue included in his budget proposal. They reduced the cuts, but fell $90 million short of their goal.

Pet local projects have been around as long as there have been politicians with money to spend. One lawmaker once dubbed them PORC - Projects of Regional Concern. By the time Perdue won office in 2002, spending on small-dollar local assistance grants had topped $20 million. On top of that were tens of millions of dollars worth of other projects sprinkled throughout the budget.

Through a recession and a Republican takeover of the Capitol, the grants survived, although the amount of the local assistance grants decreased. Bonded construction projects have continued to hover in the vicinity of $1 billion annually.

Republican leaders say they have stricter criteria for local assistance grants than in the past. Generally, the grants are supposed to go for educational, economic development or recreational need in communities. And local governments are supposed to chip in at least part of the cost.

This year many communities received money to promote tourism, improve parks and restore old buildings. For instance, Jeff Davis County in rural Southeast Georgia got $10,000 in the budget to promote local tourism. The county is represented in the Senate by Williams, and in the House by Majority Caucus Chairman Jay Roberts (R-Ocilla). Alma, another Southeast Georgia town and home to Republican Rep. Tommy Smith, got $8,000 to replace seats at a local theater. Douglasville got $20,000 to help with economic development and tourism. Tybee Island got $30,000 for a theater restoration project.

Many individual schools received grants for equipment. Most of the money was allocated to academic equipment, although $10,000 was approved for new football uniforms at Pebblebrook High School in Cobb County.

In addition, lawmakers added $150,000 to restore Augusta's historic Confederate Powder Works chimney. Another $600,000 was added for a Henry County program "to address the high drop-out rate in the community." Last school year, there were more than 100 school districts in the state with worse graduation rates than Henry County, according to the state Department of Education.

Lawmakers added $4 million to construct a flight building at the Paulding County Regional Airport in memory of three of Richardson's friends who died in a February plane crash. An additional $500,000 would go for airport improvements in Glynn County, where Keen lives.

Jeff Davis County, which the Senate majority leader represents, got $200,000 to design a new library. Coweta County got nearly $2 million for two new libraries. Coweta is represented by Senate Majority Whip Mitch Seabaugh (R-Sharpsburg).

Seabaugh said the two libraries in his district were in the budget last year but got vetoed by Perdue. They were at the top of the state library system's priority list. Perdue's Houston County library was much further down on the list, but the governor recommended funding it and lawmakers agreed.

"A governor ought to be able to put a library in for his home county," said Senate Appropriations Chairman Jack Hill (R-Reidsville).

Hill and Harbin said the budget lawmakers approved a few hours before the end of the 2008 session met most of the broad priorities state leaders set, including more money for education and public safety.

"I think we did an excellent job considering he [Perdue] came in and cut $245 million out of the budget," Harbin said.

Despite the slow economy, Harbin said legislators "felt comfortable" setting aside money for local projects.

"It's very important to those communities. It's a direct infusion of cash, and in tough times, that's what we're trying to do, put money directly back into communities," Harbin said. "These are things we can justify. We probably spend more time on that ... to make sure there is nothing in there that could embarrass us — than anything else."