The Chamber of Commerce’s Eggs and Issues’ Legislative Breakfast was held December 2 on the campus of South Georgia Technical College. Deacon Gerilee Nelson, President of the Sumter Area Ministerial Association, gave the invocation. John Watford, President of South Georgia Technical College, gave welcoming remarks. Lewis Webb, vice-chair of the board of directors of the One Sumter Economic Development Foundation also made opening remarks. Carla Hawkins, interim President and CEO of the Sumter County Chamber of Commerce, thanked everyone for attending.

Chair of the Sumter County Board of Commissioners David Baldwin gave an update on the state of Sumter County.

John Crawford, with Coleman Talley Strategies, gave an address. “Coleman Talley Strategies is the lobbying division of Coleman Talley which is a law firm that was founded in Valdosta about 87 years ago.” He told how their lobbying efforts focused on South Georgia.

Crawford told how six different stakeholders came together and decided a lobbying presence was needed. He summarized some of the progress of different projects in the Community. “You’ll see in 2024 The Southwest Georgia Railroad Excursion Authority received a GDOT grant of $1.6 million for the SAM short line. That’s a tremendous economic development initiative here.”

Crawford listed further funding. “The local fire departments just received a FEMA grant very recently.” He stated that the funds were thanks to Congressman Sanford Bishop. “The Campbell Chapel AME Church received $219,000 in matching funds from the National Trust for Historic Preservation. That’s gonna do great work there, to create maybe some historical civil rights tourism opportunities.”

Crawford listed further projects that would be funded providing a federal budget was passed. “They’ve already made it through the appropriations committees, largely through the good work of the Congressman and our Senate offices, but the Housing Authority here would receive $1 million, as would the City of Americus for. . . a street scape project.” He also told how a half a million would be provided to the Southwest Georgia Children’s Alliance. “All of those projects are in play in the current proposed federal budget, and as the Congressman wades his way back North to the nation’s capital, hopefully we’ll be able to get some progress and get a budget passed. And if that budget passes, those projects and others will be in play.”

Crawford told of another boon to the County. “The United States Department of Transportation Build America Bureau has recognized the Americus Sumter County Community for a capacity building program called Thriving Communities.”

He gave the benefits. “This is an opportunity for leaders from this County and these cities in this County, to meet with facilitators from across the Country that have particular expertise on capacity building that can help you identify some very specific projects and see those projects through to fruition, and I want to point out that there were only 52 communities selected nationwide to be in the thriving communities program, and Sumter County is the only community in the State of Georgia that was selected.”

Crawford recalled 2023 funding, speaking of $850,000 for Friends on a Mission Homeless Shelter, for which he thanked Bishop. He also listed $750,000 for the National Park Service, and $400,000 for One Sumter for the Pearly Brown Music Park.

Senator Freddie Powell-Sims, Senate District 12, gave State legislative updates. “I serve 13 counties in Southwest Georgia. I go all the way to the Alabama line, and my gas hand tells me that every day when I’m traveling through and out the communities.”

She listed her range of service. “I serve on appropriations in the Senate, sub-appropriations for Ag as well, Education, Natural Resources, Urban Affairs, and several appointed committees, and those committees meet throughout the Summer, mostly, or when we are not in session for three months, January, February, March, we spend time traveling throughout the State with the special committees.”

Powell-Sims shared one committee she deemed special. “I also serve on the literacy committee. I’m a big fan of education, because I’m an educator. Will always be. I served here in Sumter County at Staley Middle School some years ago as the Principle of Staley, which was a delight for me.”

She mentioned attending a recent meeting that dealt with education. “I was very disappointed to learn that our teacher education colleges are not preparing a lot of teachers anymore. We have a shortage.”

Powell-Sims stated that this was despite teacher pay increasing in the area. “Georgia has really caught up lately in the Southwestern part of the United States, and probably even beyond.”

She gave the number one difficulty recruiting teachers. “Most teachers leave, and especially [in the] first few years of teaching, because there is not a good leader in that building to help them grow, develop, and become a good educator.”

Powell-Sims also spoke of the need for School Boards to work to find good leadership. “Boards of education, I’m finding, don’t do a really deep dive into looking for individuals that will fit the community and will fit into the school districts. You really have to attend those school board meetings and hold those school board members responsible for education.”

She stated public education has hit an all-time low in the State of Georgia. She stated its importance in economic development. “Those individuals that go to expensive private school education, they are not going to want to work in the factories and to do the grunt work. So we need to educate everybody.”

Powell-Sims also addressed funding. “A lot of people say there is not enough money in [education]. Yes there is.” She stated her fiscal philosophy. “I am a very frugal person. I believe in accountability.” She stated the issue was how the money was spent. “We give money, but the return on that investment is very, very little. So when you ask me to do something, make sure you gonna follow through on whatever it is you’re asking for, because I’m going to check to see if those taxpayer dollars were used wisely.”

She also addressed a recent push by many seniors to become exempt from school taxes. “We’re hearing an awful lot from seniors that say ‘Okay, I’m 65 and I don’t want to pay school taxes anymore.’ But remember, somebody had to pay school taxes when you were in school.”

For Congressman Sanford Bishop’s federal legislative update, see Eggs and Issues part 2.