Local leaders visit Gold Dome as Macon ‘momentum’ builds

Dozens of local officials and business leaders piled into buses and headed off to Georgia’s Capitol Thursday morning for Macon Day, an effort to engage legislators and raise awareness for Middle Georgia economic development.

A handful of Macon’s state representatives made appearances on the floor of the Gold Dome; however, some of the Republican representatives and senators were instead drawn to President Donald Trump’s appearance in North Georgia.

Maconites have been making the visit to Atlanta for Macon Day for the past three years.

The Greater Macon Chamber of Commerce, in collaboration with the county and some of its authorities, named five legislative priorities heading into the day’s activities, said Jessica Walden, chamber president.

Those asks amount to funding and support for the Ocmulgee Mounds National Park, tourism development, mass transportation, workforce readiness, and military infrastructure and investment. 

The chamber is also looking to secure state funding for a new convention center, federal funding for a new airport terminal and bolster the high school to college talent pipeline, among other measures.

“Knowing where the state’s allocating tourism dollars … that’s important not just to Visit Macon but for our overall economic health and vitality and for our businesses as well,” Walden said.

Legislative progress is a “moving target,” and several priorities have carried over from previous Macon Days, she added. 

“I think the way we measure [success] really is of how much we can plug ourselves into the conversation,” she said.

Macon-Bibb County was recognized on the House floor, and Mayor Lester Miller met with Macon representatives. Miller said those talks were “really great,” especially those regarding a property tax exemption bill for seniors.

House Bill 1105 has made its way to the House Ways and Means Committee and awaits a vote from the full chamber.

Progress reports

Maconites heard from various state entities for the first several hours, including the departments of labor, community affairs, agriculture and transportation. 

Ian Caraway, director of policy for the governor’s office, said the state has worked hard to unify state education agencies to direct its workforce pipeline. He said the state continues to emphasize postsecondary education and added that lawmakers are looking to further build out workforce development pathways and simplify potential funding streams.

He also said the governor is looking to carve out funds for grant-based homelessness initiatives and wants to reduce the personal income tax rate to below 5% while also offering tax rebates to Georgians.

Russell McMurry, commissioner of the Georgia Department of Transportation, said while the price of building out highway infrastructure has nearly doubled, the governor’s office has directed more than a billion dollars to build out express lanes off I-75.

Macon’s projects, including parts of I-75 near the interchange and two bridges, are set for completion later this year, he added.

The upper portion of the interchange, around Rose Hill Cemetery and Riverside Drive, has yet to be built out and is expected to be finished in the fall of 2029.

When asked about potential passenger rail through Middle Georgia, McMurry said the state won’t see any completions within the decade despite an ongoing corridor study. 

Walden said hearing from the various commissioners helped “reinforce” Macon’s importance within the state.

“Macon’s presence at the capitol has been really strong this year,” she said. “Today is just an accumulation of all that momentum.”