Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp signed the state’s 2022 budget on Monday. On Tuesday, he held press conferences in several locations across Georgia, including Augusta Regional Airport, to explain the spending plan.
Kemp said the more than $27 billion budget does not call for a tax increase, does not cut essential services or call for widespread furloughs or layoffs.
MORE: Georgia House Passes $27.2B State Budget
“Like so many Georgians at their own kitchen tables during the COVID-19 crisis, we worked together, we planned for the unknown and made tough decisions at tough times,” he said.
Turning his attention to the Augusta area, Kemp said there is $5.2 million to provide matching funds for a scholarship program for doctors to practice medicine in rural Georgia. Kemp said the investment, along with the continued commitment to the Georgia Cyber Center at Augusta University, will serve this area in the future.
The budget includes $10 million for local government grants for public-private partnerships to expand broadband coverage into unserved and underserved areas of Georgia.
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One of those partnerships is between Washington Electric Membership Cooperative and Conexon, a Kansas City, Mo. based company that specializes in helping electric cooperatives build fiber networks.
Washington EMC is committing $52 million dollars and Conexon is adding $2 million. It will provide broadband access to 12,000 homes in at least 10 counties.
In addition, $40 million is designated for the set up of a rural innovation fund. It will provide resources to find solutions to the challenges faced by many of Georgia’s rural communities.
Kemp said this past year showed him how resilient Georgians have been.
“I knew we were tough people, but we were tough and resilient people and we have weathered the worst in a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic,” he said.
Kemp also stopped in Valdosta and Columbus.
Dana Lynn McIntyre is a Staff Reporter with The Augusta Press. You can reach her at dana@theaugustapress.com.
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