City of Eatonton News 

2009-04-08 - Economic Stimulus And Eatonton

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is trickling down to Eatonton, Georgia. 

*The City was an entitlement community for the Byrne Justice Assistance Grant.  The grant will be for $23,092.  The City will use this grant for cameras and for shotguns for the Department. 

*The City has been notified that our application for community oriented police services grant for 6 police officers was partially approved.  The City will receive funding of over $120,000 for the salary of one new police officer for the next three years.  The City will have to pick up the cost for a fourth year for theofficer paid under this program.

*Representative Mickey Channell has let us know that paving will soon begin on Highway 16 west from Jefferson Avenue in downtown all the way to the Jasper County line.  The contract let date is May 19, 2009, so paving will begin shortly thereafter.

*Eatonton along with Milledgeville, Gray and Macon have formed a consortium with Clearwire and the Knight Foundation to cread a project called Big Broadband for Central Georgia.  This project will provide wireless highspeed internet service for the participating communities.  It will open up a new era in publc safety, medical services, education and leisure as the public sector users as well as citizens will be able to connect to the internet without having a wire connection to the telephone or to a cable modem.

The City has been notified that our Fire Safety grant to hire five full time paid firefighters has been favorably approved. The grant will total $453,000 over four years.  The City must match the grant with an increasing City share each year  for five years.  We should be hiring full time firefighters soon.  This with other improvements to equipment and vehicles should lower the ISO rating for City residents.

2010-01-26 - City Has Opportunity Zone Approved

The Georgia Department of Community Affairs has approved our application for an Opportunity Zone.  This designation allows business in the zone to claim a credit against their Georgia withholding taxes if they create at least two new jobs. The zone is roughly the old industrial area around the former Enterprise Aluminum Plant and the old cotton warehouse area near downtown.  This is a great enticement to move business into Eatonton.  Please see the press release below.

EATONTON, GEORGIA, FEBRUARY 16, 2010 - The Mayor and Council of the City of Eatonton are pleased to announce that Opportunity Zone Tax Credits are now available in the downtown area. The job tax credits offered through the Opportunity Zone program are the highest available under law and can substantially reduce the cost of doing business for companies that create and sustain jobs within the approved Opportunity Zone.

Under the Opportunity Zone program, any business that creates and maintains a minimum of two (2) full-time jobs may claim a $3,500 tax credit per job for as long as the job is maintained up to five years. This credit may be claimed against 100% of the business’s Georgia Income Tax liability with the possibility of claiming excess credit against withholding taxes. For more information on the benefits to businesses, please see the brochure

Opportunity Zone Tax Credits – Information for Businesses.

"We are pleased to be one of the few communities in the state that can offer these benefits to new and existing businesses and we look forward to the impact this will have on our local community revitalization efforts," said Mayor John Reid. According to the

For more information on the Opportunity Zone program or how to take advantage of Opportunity Zone Tax Credits in Eatonton, please contact Nick Kouloungis at the Middle Georgia Regional Commission by telephone at (478) 751-6160 or by email at

Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA) website, Eatonton is one of twenty-four (24) communities across the state that can offer Opportunity Zone Tax Credits. To determine if your business is located in the Eatonton Opportunity Zone, you may view the Opportunity Zone Map online. nkouloungis@mg-rc.org.

CITY OF EATONTON, GEORGIA RECEIVES OPPORTUNITY ZONE DESIGNATION FROM THE GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY AFFAIRS

 
 
 

 
 
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