Clayton County priorities: growth, public transportation, public image
Reviving public transit is paramount to ensuring economic growth in Clayton County and to improving its image, the county’s top officer said last week.
Fifteen months after assuming the top elected office, Commission Chairman Jeff Turner laid out the county’s challenges and achievements in his first state of the county address Thursday night at the Morrow Center.
"For us to have sustainable economic growth, we need a transit system," Turner said. The county has been without public transit since the C-Tran bus system was closed down four years ago this month.
“Not everyone has a reliable form of transportation to get to work, shop, doctor visits or even to school,” Turner said. “As the number of jobs grow in our county and the retail business starts to pick up, business owners before relocating to Clayton want to know if their employees and customers have a way to reach their business.”
At the same time, Turner said the county continues to wrestle with an image problem, an ailing hospital, aging infrastructure and recent legislation that eats away at the county’s tax digest. Lawmakers passed a bill this year that prevents Clayton from collecting taxes, estimated to be at least $1 million a year, from concessionaires at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.
“It’s a lot of money we’re not going to be getting now because of the new law,” Turner told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Despite those challenges, the county is in relatively good financial shape, Turner said, adding that he hoped to be able to give raises to county employees, if the new budget allows. The county is paring down its to-do list from two previous SPLOST campaigns. Voters go to the polls in May to decide whether to extend a penny tax to fund projects in a 2015 SPLOST.
A recap of Turner’s address:
What's growing in Clayton?: The county's savings. Turner said county reserves have grown from $51.9 million in fiscal year 2012 to $54 million in fiscal year 2013. Despite a four-year decline in the tax digest, the fund balance rose each of the four years due to budgetary controls.
What else is growing in Clayton?: Jobs. Clayton, Turner reminded, has landed several major economic plums, including the $100 million Porsche North American Headquarters straddling the Clayton-Fulton line. It's slated to open by year's end with a customer experience track, museum, visitor's center and restaurant. It will employ about 400, including 100 new jobs. Also: Kaiser Permanente's $45 million expansion of its Southwood Comprehensive Medical Complex in Morrow and Briggs Equipment's $8 million regional center that will bring 100 jobs and add three dozen more in the next two years.
Who was missing?: Three of Turner's four fellow commissioners. Commissioner Shana Rooks had a prior engagement. Commissioners Sonna Singleton and Gail Hambrick did not attend. Only Commissioner Michael Edmondson was at the speech.
What did Turner identify as his top goals?
- Improving Clayton's internal and external image. "We have an image problem or at least a perceived image problem," he said. "People's perception of Clayton County isn't who we are. We have a lot of great things happening here and we can't let the naysayers define who we are."
- Recruiting more businesses that will become assets to the county. "I want businesses that are going to be community partners, businesses that are environmentally friendly and add value to our community, not detract from it," he said.
- Supporting more entrepreneurship and small business in Clayton.Turner said he plans to create by the end of the summer a committee of business owners to help with retention issues and attract more businesses.
