ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Monroe County
leads Mid-Ga.
in pop. growth
County nears 30,000 mark
BY WILL DAVIS
M
onroe County is one
of only two Middle
Georgia counties
growing, according to census
data released in March 2014.
The census bureau released
its annual estimates showing
that Monroe County’s population
grew from 26,737 in July 2012
to 26,984 in July 2013. That
translates to a net addition of 247
people, or about 1 percent, in
Monroe County during the year.
All other county populations in
Middle Georgia were in decline
over the last year except for fastgrowi ng Houston County, which
jumped from 146,067 to 147,658.
Monroe County commission
chairman Mike Bilderback said
the county is in a good position to
grow in both population and now
economically as well.
“Traditionally Monroe County
has been a destination point,
people want to live here,” said
Bilderback. “That’s going to be
a trend that continues, and I’m
glad to see more industry looking
at us.”
Bilderback said a lot more
industries have been looking to
locate in the county in the last
year. He said prospects find
out that Monroe County has a
74
good school system and that
encourages them to locate in the
county. In fact, Bilderback said
a good prospective industry has
Monroe County on its short list
right now that would bring lots
of mid-level jobs to the community. He said the development
authority is also working to put
together another parcel to market
to industries, and said there are
not many authorities that work
as hard as Monroe County’s.
He said he gets a lot of compliments on the hard work of Tiffany
Andrews, the director of the
development authority.
Adding new businesses helps
take the tax pressure off homeowners, said Bilderback.
“I’m a capitalist,” the chairman
said. “I want to see (tax) revenue
through prosperity, not on the
backs of property owners.”
Tiffany Andrews, director of
the Monroe County Development
Authority, agreed that it’s good
news.
“It is good to see Monroe
County growing – and at a good
pace,” said Andrews. “A slow
steady growth allows city, county
and school board leaders the
time to plan for the necessary
infrastructure improvements to
accommodate such growth.”
Andrews said the county’s
location and exceptional school
system has it poised for nothing
but growth.
“I am hopeful that our leaders
use this slow paced opportunity
wisely,” said Andrews.
Monroe County has now
grown 2 percent since 2010,
when its population was 26,424.
Surrounding counties have not
fared as well. Even Jones County,
once a fast-growing suburb of
Macon, has shrunk from 28,669 to
28,569 from 2010 to 2013. Monroe County has now surpassed
the population of Upson County,
which has fallen from 27,153
to 26,566 from 2010 to 2013.
Crawford County fell from 12,630
to 12,504 since 2010. Jasper
County’s population has fallen
from 13,900 in 2010 to 13,601 in
2013. Bibb County’s population
has dropped from 155,547 in
2010 to 154,721 in 2013.
The Forsythia Festival brings out Monroe County’s growing population.
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