Authority: For every public dollar invested, industry generates $75

At its recent annual meeting, the Macon-Bibb County Industrial Authority reflected on recent successes and benchmarks.

“And one of the numbers we’ve generated — since 2017 … every dollar of public investment is generating $75 in private investment,” said Executive Director Stephen Adams. “That’s strong. Those are big numbers. We feel good about the taxpayer dollars that are invested into this organization, and what we’re able to return from that.”

The board also discussed how the recent groundbreaking for a Bob’s Discount Furniture distribution center in the 4000 block of Cavalier Drive reinforces the authority’s vision for Bibb County as a logistics hub.

A targeted industry study in the early 2000s grew its first fruit with the Kohl’s distribution center on Hawkinsville Road that opened in 2005.

“The industrial portion of our tax digest is growing significantly, and that goes back to that decades-long strategy about trying to offset some of the tax burden on the average ratepayer and the average taxpayer by having these industrial uses that pay for more than enough and more than their costs,” Adams said.

To further incentivize new industry, the authority offers tax incentives such as the Payment in Lieu of Taxes — also known as PILOT — program. The program offers companies discounted property taxes in exchange for moving into the county.

There are 14 PILOT industries in Macon-Bibb, and combined, they have more than $320 million in annual payroll.

Chair Robby Fountain noted the industrial tax base has grown about 295% since 2010.

“About 19% of the (tax) digest right now is occupied by the industrial tax base, which I think that is extremely just unheard of,” Fountain said.

—Civic Journalism Senior Fellow Liz Fabian covers Macon-Bibb County government entities and can be reached at fabian_lj@mercer.edu or 478-301-2976.