Snapshots of Georgia: Telfair County, 1994 June

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Numbers on map are the Council ofEconomic Development Organizati,ons (CEDO) Regions

Community Telfair County
Helena Jacksonville Lumber City
McRae Milan Scotland

Telfair County is 444 square miles in area-the 48th largest county. About 70% of the county's total area is in timber.

The county is in CEDO Region 10 and the Heart of Georgia Regional Development Center.

Telfair County is in the 8th U.S. Congressional District, the 19th State Senatorial District, and the 142nd and 170th State House Districts.

The county has six incorporated municipalities, including McRae, the county seat. McRae--

Population

19701 19801

11394 11445

1230

1390

227

206

Growth
1990 1910-1980 I 1980-1990

11000

0.4%

-3.9%

1256

13.0%

-9.6%

128

-9.3% -37.9%

named for a pioneering Scot family-was the home of Governor Eugene Talmadge.
The county was primarily settled by Scottish Presbyterians from the Carolinas. Jacksonville was the first seat of government

1377

1426

1429

3.6%

0.2% and remained an important river trading

3151

3409

3007

8.2% -11.8% center until after the Civil War. Lumber City,

1084

1115

1056

2.9%

-5.3% in the eastern part of the county, is known fo

261

222

244

-14.9%

9.9% its 50 artesian wells.

Demographics

C
~ 150% +---t-----:--...;_=,=='=''''"'"'='--+---'---; The county lost nearly 4% of its population in the 1980s vs. a state

:i
C.

growth rate of almost 19%.

0

~100%1--~---~---iiiiiiiiiiiiiiliiiiiiiiiiiiii~ The county's population is older than average for the state and the

l'-

(l)

- State County

region. About 17% of the county's population is age 65 or older vs. about 10% statewide.

Approximately 34% of the 2000 2010 county's residents are black.

County

$150,000+ $100--149,999

The county's 1989 median

El State

$75-99,999

household income-11th lowest in the state-was $16,573 vs. the state's $29,021.

Per capita income for the

county is $11,961 vs. the $17,045

state average. The county's per

capita income is only about 64%

1970

1980

1990

2000 2010 of that of the U.S., with a less than

$50-74,999 l
C
(/)
:(Ir)
$30-G9,999 a0:
:,
$20-29,999 8
3 . $10-19,999 (I)
.: : : J$5-9,999
i +9<$5,000

1% relative increase in the 1980s. 24% 18% 12% 6% % of Households

Demographics-cont'd

T EL F A

Over 27% of the county's residents (41 % of black residents, 20% of white residents, 34% of residents over 65, and nearly 50% of all femaleheads ofhouseholds) live below the poverty level vs. about 15% statewide.

County [] State

About 47% of the county's adult population have not completed high school vs. 29.1% statewide. This at least partially reflects the high number ofolder residents. About20% ofthe county's adult population have a college level education (including some college, a college degree or a graduate or professional degree) vs. the state average of 41.3%.
The county's 1992 dropout rate for grades 8-12 was 3.8%, below the statewide rate of 5.3% and one of the lowest in the region.

30%

23%

15%

8%

% of Population Age 25+

Seventy-two percent ofthe county's working residents havejobs within the county, while 28% work elsewhere.

HS Grad HS Not Grad 0-8

72.4%

D Workin
County
Commute
fill Outside
County
Governments

The county's unemployment rate was near 10% for much of the time from 1980--1991. The rate fell to 5.3% in 1991, close to the state's 5%.

-

-

State
County

1'----,--....._......._-,----,----<'3%

1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990

Telfair County has a traditional commission form of government, with a five member board. The county collects both a Local Option Sales Tax and a Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax dedicated to capital outlay projects. In 1993, the county had relatively little long-term debt ($27.21 per capita). In 1993, Telfair County's per capita general revenue ($286.27) and general operating expenditures ($251.31) were lower than those ($396.63 and $311.45) for similarly sized counties. The county's per capita cash and investment assets held at the end of FY 1993 was $60.65 vs. $107.76 for its population group.

The county and all of its municipalities have an approved and adopted solid waste management plan and are currently eligible for solid waste grants, loans, and permits.
Telfair County and all of its municipalities, except Scotland, have an approved and adopted jointcomprehensive plan. The City ofScotland has temporarily lost its QualifiedLocal Government status for failing to adopt a comprehensive plan before its June 1993 recertification deadline. The county and Lumber City will be required to include a River Corridor Protection Plan in their comprehensive plans by September 1994.

Telfair
[] All Counties
General General Revenues Operating
Expenditures

DCA Financial Assistance

Between July 1, 1990andMay 15, 1994, TelfairCountyanditsmunicipalitiesreceived$4,786,700 in financial assistance from DCA; most of that assistance was in the form of Community Development Block Grant funds.

Source Community Development Block Grant
Local Assistance Grant Local Development Fund

Amount 4,695,950
68,130 22,620

Number of Grants IO 2 3

Total $4,786,700

15

Telfair County was awarded Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds to construct a health center and for water, sewer, drainage and street improvements. Helena received CDBG funds for two housing projects.
Lumber City used CDBG funds for a neighborhood rehabilitation project and to renovate a facility to be used for Head Start, senior citizens, and adult literacy programs. CDBG funds were also awarded to McRae for water and sewer system, street, and drainage improvements and a housing rehabilitation program for the elderly. Milan received CDBG funds for sewer system improvements and Scotland used the funds for housing rehabilitation.

Local Assistance Grants were awarded to Helena for a prison utility project and the county for airport improvements.
Local Development Funds were awarded to McRae to construct facilities at a recreation site; Milan for construction of a health facility; and Helena for a community service center.

GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF



COMMUNITY AFFAIRS
SPECIAL PROJECTS SECTION



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100 Peachtree Street

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