Bibb development authority broadens role from clean air to community projects

This story is part of “Power,” a series by The Melody examining local authorities — quasi-governmental bodies that make consequential decisions about housing, water, transit, development, health care and public spending — that shape life in Macon-Bibb County. Read a primer on the series here.

In the early 1970s, the federal government began to crack down on smog-producing industries. Like many other companies at the time, Georgia Power needed to come into compliance with the stricter emission standards mandated by the federal Clean Air Act.

Its coal-fired, steam-generating plant — between the Ocmulgee River and Arkwright Road — had been identified in a report by the Council on Economic Priorities as a “major offender.”

But the cost to bring the air pollution under control was steep.

At the behest of the utility company, county and state lawmakers created the Development Authority of Bibb County in 1973 to provide tax-free, low-interest bond financing.   

Today, the DABC rarely draws much attention from the public. It meets once a year or as needed. Still, it has had a hand in a variety of developments and projects in the 53 years since it was created.

DABC’s focus has shifted from issuing tax-free revenue bonds that help the county’s existing industries stay in compliance with environmental laws. Now, it aims to help developers, nonprofits and schools.

“Mainly, we want to do bond financing that’s going to increase employment in Bibb County or add to supporting the educational institutions,” said Chairperson Starr Purdue, who has served on the authority board since 2011.

“For organizations that don’t have a huge financing need, something like $10, $5, $20 million — not $100 million — we provide tax-free financing bonds and we can help them with those things,” Purdue said.

The projects must be in alignment with criteria set out in DABC’s bylaws. The authority doesn’t provide the money directly. It is more of a pass-through agency that can declare its projects are exempt from federal income taxes. That encourages lenders to finance projects because they can avoid paying income taxes on the interest payments collected from developers.

Examples of DABC’s more recent work include helping pay for a boundary study for the potential expansion of the Ocmulgee Mounds into a national park. The authority also issued tax-free bonds that helped build the Ronald McDonald House, which provides accommodations for families with children who are hospitalized locally for long periods of time, and new student housing at Middle Georgia State University.

It has also helped Mercer University purchase computers and assisted with campus improvement projects at Wesleyan College and a host of private grade schools, including Stratford Academy, First Presbyterian Day School, Covenant Academy, Montessori of Macon and Mount de Sales Academy.

In 2012, the authority joined with several partners on a project to renovate downtown Macon’s Dannenburg building into residential lofts.

The seven-member board has one scheduled meeting each May, making it the least active financing board in the county. But the authority can meet on other occasions should the need arise.

“Right now, we don’t have any bond requests pending,” Purdue said. “Everything that we worked on is finished.”

Fast facts

• The authority does not own land.
• It also does not have a website.
• It uses the Macon-Bibb County Industrial Authority’s building for its meetings and its administrative staff. An annual board meeting in May, along with as-needed meetings, are held at the building at 439 Mulberry Street.
• Board members are appointed to four-year terms by the Macon-Bibb County mayor and Board of Commissioners. Current members are Chair Starr Purdue, Kirby Godsey, Brian Adams, Patrick Goff and Walter Timley.
• The authority’s lawyer is Chix Miller.
• View the authority’s bylaws and its most recent audit by visiting the web version of this story.
• Read the authority’s bylaws here.
• View the most recent audit here.