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Vice-Chair Hope Harmon briefs commissioners on regional development, hospital tax credit proposal and 2020 Census outreach
Summary
Vice-Chair Hope Harmon summarized House Rural Development Council recommendations encouraging regional development authorities and a proposal to raise the Rural Hospital Tax Credit cap to $100 million; she also highlighted ACCG/GMA workshops on the 2020 Census.
Vice-Chair Hope Harmon provided a legislative update at the Jan. 8 Ben Hill County Commission meeting that touched on regional development authorities, changes to the Rural Hospital Tax Credit and local Census outreach.
Harmon summarized recommendations from the House Rural Development Council urging the state to "encourage and incentivize" regionalism and to support regional development authorities with statutory incentives and benefits. She said the council anticipates incentives for regional industrial parks and that members of development authorities may be required to complete basic economic development training.
On the Rural Hospital Tax Credit, Harmon relayed a council suggestion to raise the cap to $100 million and to direct the Department of Community Health to publish a list of qualifying hospitals and to clarify contribution and qualifying-expenditure rules. Harmon noted local concern that some hospitals receiving credits may not be in financial distress and suggested the county follow up with local contacts on the issue.
Harmon also flagged ACCG and GMA-hosted 2020 Census workshops intended to help counties form local count committees. She said accurate census counts are important because federal funding and representation depend on the count.
