Georgia is among the national leaders in aerospace engineering, and now a new group will advocate for the industry at the state level. The Georgia Aerospace & Defense Alliance (GADA) will be based out of Mercer University in Macon, taking advantage of the school’s lauded engineering research center that supports nearby Robins Air Force Base. Founding members include jet manufacturer Gulfstream Aerospace Corp., defense contractor Lockheed Martin, pilot training firm FlightSafety International, engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce and Pratt & Whitney parent RTX. And heading up GADA as executive director will be Ember Bishop Bentley, a familiar face in political circles from her time in the Georgia Department of Economic Development. Key objectives will include Aerospace Day at the Capitol as well as vouching for the state’s research and development tax credit, a crucial tool for Peach State aerospace companies.
Atlanta, Fulton Co. square off in tax fight
The City of Atlanta has long used tax allocation districts (TADs) as an economic development tool, leveraging property tax increases to pay for local infrastructure projects. But the Fulton County Commission has slammed on the brakes, voting 4-1 to reject a proposed 30-year extension of Atlanta’s TADs. That sets up a major budgetary clash, as the Fulton TADs would be expected to generate over a billion dollars over that period. Now the county will vote on TADs on a case by case basis, with stricter oversight and enforcement, leaving Atlanta’s money faucet DRIFTING…
