ATLANTA – State Representative Darlene Taylor (R-Thomasville) today announced that House District 173 will receive over $5 million in funding from the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority (GEFA) and from Georgia’s Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program, which is administered by the Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA).
“I am thankful to GEFA and DCA for this funding and for their commitment to improving the infrastructure in our district and the quality of life for our citizens,” said Rep. Taylor. “In rural areas like district 173, our water, sewer and drainage infrastructures are critical to sustaining our local economies, and it is important that we invest in these systems.”
The City of Cairo will receive $2.5 million in funding from GEFA to help improve the water system infrastructure, and the City of Bainbridge will receive $1.1 million from GEFA to help improve their water sewer system infrastructure.
The following cities/counties in House District 173 have been awarded Community Development Block Grant Program funds from the Department of Community Affairs:
• $685,461 for street/drainage improvements for Grady County;
• $538,301 for street/drainage improvements for Decatur County;
• $750,000 for water/sewer improvements for the City of Thomasville.
Founded in 1985, GEFA facilitates programs that conserve and protect Georgia’s energy, land, and water resources. GEFA provides loans for water, wastewater, and solid waste infrastructure; manages energy efficiency and renewable energy programs; oversees land conservation projects; and manages and monitors state-owned fuel storage tanks.
The CDBG program is available to eligible local governments through a competitive grant program. The program provides funding to assist a wide range of eligible activities, including housing improvement projects, public facilities such as water and sewer lines, buildings such as local health centers or head start centers, and economic development projects. All projects must substantially benefit low and moderate income persons.
Representative Darlene Taylor represents the citizens of District 173, which includes portions of Decatur, Grady and Thomas counties. She was elected to the House of Representatives in 2010 and currently serves as Chairman of the Information and Audits Committee. She also serves on the Appropriations Subcommittee on Health and the Agriculture & Consumer Affairs, Governmental Affairs, Insurance, Public Safety & Homeland Security and Transportation committees.
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