The Greene County Chamber of Commerce held its annual Legislative Update Breakfast on May 14 at Atlas Ministry in Greensboro. The event informed attendees of recent changes made within the state legislature, including those that may affect Greene County.
During the event, the main topic of discussion involved ongoing plans to widen Highway 44. The expansion will run for about 11 miles. Phase one of construction will begin in December 2024, with Willow Run Road as the starting point.
“The project cost for [phase one] is $27 million,” said Jamie Boswell, a Georgia Department of Transportation board member. “Phase one is 2.1 miles.”
According to Boswell, the Georgia Department of Transportation must purchase 227 right-of-way parcels for the project. So far, only 92 of the parcels have been purchased.
“We’ve got a way to go, but we are going to get started as quickly as we can,” Boswell said.
In addition to expanding Highway 44, the Department of Transportation plans to add several lights to the route.
According to Boswell, the lights will be installed at the north, south, east, and west “off and on ramps” and by Home Depot on Meadow Crest Road.
“There are no lights in the project from Home Depot until the end of the project,” Boswell said. “So, we’ve had many people ask about that, and that’s how it will be done.”
The second phase of the Highway 44 expansion project will begin in December 2025 and cost the Georgia Department of Transportation $32 million. The department plans to focus this portion of the project on the more rural areas.
“There [will be] plenty of median breaks and plenty of red lights,” Boswell added.
Construction for the expansion’s third and final phase will begin in December 2026. This portion will cost $126 million, and the entire expansion is expected to be a “60-month project.”
“The entire project is $185 million from start to finish,” Boswell said.
The legislative update also shared updates on budget concerns.
As Georgia State Representative for Greensboro’s District 124, Trey Rhodes and the other representatives met earlier this year to discuss financial concerns. He and the other members of Georgia’s legislature had five focus areas regarding funds.
“We wanted to cut your taxes, invest in our education [and] keep our community safe,” Rhodes said. “We wanted to expand access to quality, affordable healthcare and improve the lives of all Georgians.”
According to Rhodes, the state is taking steps to invest in education and recently passed the Georgia Promise Scholarship for students in need. The grant will provide “$6,500 to students in the lower 25% of performing schools.”
“That will give kids a chance if they are in the bottom 25% and their family sees a need for them to do something else,” Rhodes said. “[If the family wants] to better their [kids’] education or wants them to go somewhere else, they’re going to have a chance to do it.”
During the session, Rhodes discussed that the state has raised the pay for teachers “by $2,500” and the salary increase “by $9,500 over the last four or five years.”
“We’ve gone from the bottom of the Southeast to one of the tops in the Southeast,” the representative said.
Throughout the event, multiple speakers discussed budget priorities regarding the safety of schools and the students attending them.
According to Lee Anderson, state senator for Georgia’s District 24, the state patrol has been given a pay raise for being “[the] people that keep us safe.”
With the salary increase given to state troopers, the state recently decided to put money towards every Georgia school in a way it “had not done before.”
"[The money] goes towards safety for our children and grandchildren,” Anderson said. “We take it very seriously to protect our children.”