Snapshots of Georgia: Meriwether County, 1994 June

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Numbers on map are the Council of Economic Development Organizations (CEDO) Regions

SNAPSHOTS OF County Description

G E O R G

A Meriwether County was created in 1827; the 73rd county created. The county was named for

General David Meriwether, a state militiaman often called on by the federal government to negotiate

with the Indians. General Meriwether served in the Revolutionary War and was a state legislator

and a member of Congress.

Community Meriwether County
Gay Greenville Lone Oak Luthersville Manchester Wann Springs Woodbury

Population

1970) 1980)

19461 21229

200

175

1085

1213

129

119

400

597

4779

4796

523

425

1422

1738

1990 22411
133 1167
161 741 4104 407 1429

Growth

1910-1980 I 1980-1990

9.1%

5.6%

-12.5% -24.0%

11.8%

-3.8%

-7.8%

35.3%

49.3%

24.1%

0.4%

-14.4%

-18.7%

-4.2%

22.2%

-17.8%

The county is 505 square miles in area; the 28th largest county in the state.
The county seat is Greenville, population 1,167, named for Revolutionary War hero, General Nathaniel Greene. The county's largest municipality is Manchester, with a population of about 4,000. The county includes five other municipalities: Gay, Lone Oak, Luthersville, Warm Springs, and Woodbury.

Meriwether County is in CEDO Region 5 and the Chattahoochee Flint Regional Development Center.

The county is in the 2nd and 3rd U.S. Congressional Districts, the 29th State Senatorial District, and the 131st and 137th State House Districts.

Warm Springs-site of President Roosevelt's "Little White House"-is in the county. The historic site there run by the Georgia Department ofNatural Resources drew over I00,000 in 1993

The springs water stays naturally at 90 degrees and was used by Indians as a healing spring and later as a spa for white settlers-among them Franklin D. Roosevelt and other polio suffers. The Warm Springs Foundation opened its doors to people suffering from other types of crippling diseases and conditions after the discovery ofthe polio vaccine. An effort is underway to rehabilitate the warm springs pools used by Roosevelt and others in the 1930s and 1940s.

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State

Demographics
Meriwether County's population grew slowly in the 1980s, increasing only 5.6%.
Meriwether County's population is about 45% black.

1970

County 1980

Almost half of the county's adult population

(48%) have not completed high school;

1990

2000 2010 Meriwether County ranks in the bottom 25%

among all ofthe counties on this measure ofeducational attainment. Only

19.6% of the county's adult population have either some college or a college degree, compared to 41.3% statewide.

Over22% ofthe county's population have incomes below the poverty level, compared to 15% statewide.

<HS Grad HS Grad Ill Coll Not Grad
Coll Grad+

Demographics-cont'd

MERIWETHER

In 1990, per capita income was $11,713 - about 63% of U.S. per capita income. The county

COUNTY

ranks in the bottom one-third ofGeorgia's counties on this income measure. Meriwether County's economy depends heavily on manufacturing and ,,,,,...... "

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government. In 1990, almost 35% of the county's jobs were in the manufacturing sector. The location of the State Park and Rehabilitation Center are reflected in the county's employment figures. State and local

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government provide about 20% ofthe county'sjobs.
Forty-seven percent of the county's workforce commute to jobs outside of the county. The county

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State County

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is located near a number of job centers; about 53% 1970 1980

1990

2000

2010

ofthe commuters travel to Coweta, Clayton, Fayette,

and Fulton counties, and about 36% of the

12%

commuters travel to Harris, Muscogee, and Troup

D Work in

counties.

9% ~ 0

County

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The county's manufacturing base is primarily

6%

CD
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Commute
Ill Outside
County

in the lumber and wood and printing industries.
Meriwether's unemployment has been consistently higher than the state's since 1980.

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Unemployment topped 10% in 1982, 1983, and 1985.

I
1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990

Governments
Meriwether County has a commission-manager form of government, with a five member board.

$$$ Per Capita 500

Meriwether County raises and spends less money than similarly sized counties. In 1993, the county raised $240 in per capita general revenues, vs. $349.20 for similarly sized counties. In the same year, the county reported $208.09 in per capita general operating expenditures, vs. $282.30 for all similarly sized counties.

The county spends little for capital outlay and capital projects. In 1993, the county reported only $10.12 in per capita capital expenditures. Since 1989, capital expenditures have been less than 10% of current operation expenditures.

The county collects both the Local Option Sales Tax and Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST). The SPLOST is levied for the county landfill. In 1992, the county issued short-term debt equivalent to about 21 % of total net revenues. In 1993, the county reported no outstanding long-term debt.

Meriwether
ill All Counties

The county is involved in the Pine Mountain Ridge Regionally Important Resource effort with Harris, Talbot, and Upson counties.
The county and municipalities have an approved and adopted solid waste management plan and are currently eligible for solid waste grants, loans, and permits.

General General Revenues Operating
Expenditures

Meriwether County and its municipalities' comprehensive plans are due in June 1994. River Corridor Protection requirements do not apply to the county or its municipalities.

Concludes on back page ~

DCA Financial Assistance

Between July 1, 1990 and May 15, 1994, Meriwether County and its municipalities received $1,162,291 in financial assistance from DCA; $1,142,291 of that assistance was for Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) projects.

Source Community Development Block Grant
Local Development Fund

Amount 1,142,291
20,000

Number of Grants 4 2

Total $1,162,291

6

All four of the CDBG projects have been for water system projects.

Luthersville received a Local DevelopmentFund (LDF) grant to construct a community facility for use as a public library and Manchester received a LDF grant to rehabilitate a historic building for use as a community center.

GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF

COMMUNITY AFFAIRS

SPECIAL PROJECTS SECTION

1200 Equitable Building

100 Peachtree Street

Atlanta, Georgia 30303

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(404) 656-3851

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An Equal Opportunity Employer