Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections for May 29, 2020

The Treaty of Augusta was signed on May 31, 1783, between the Creek Indians and Georgia Commissioners. A second, identical document would be signed on November 1 of that year.

The first graduation ceremony for the University of Georgia was held on May 31, 1804.

On May 29, 1836, the United States Senate ratified the Treaty of New Echota, which required the movement of all Cherokee out of Georgia and led to the “Trail of Tears.”

Savannah-born John C. Fremont was nominated for President of the United States by the Radical Republicans on May 31, 1864. Fremont had previously been nominated for President by the Republican Party as their first presidential candidate in 1856.

The Capital City Club in Atlanta was chartered on May 31, 1889.

United States Secretary of State William Jennings Bryan certified the 17th Amendment as part of the Constitution on May 31, 1913, authorizing the direct election of United States Senators. Georgia never ratified the Amendment.

On May 30, 1922, Chief Justice of the United States William H. Taft dedicated the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC. Inside the memorial is a seated statue of Lincoln by Daniel Chester French carved from 175 tons of Georgia white marble.

French also created the statue of Jame Oglethorpe that stands in Chippewa Square in Savannah and a seated statue of Samuel Spencer considered to be a prototype of the Lincoln carving. Samuel Spencer was the first President of Southern Railway and was originally located at the rail station in downtown Atlanta before moving to the Southern Railway passenger station in Buckhead in the 1970s and is currently at 1200 Peachtree Street in front of Norfolk Southern.

On May 29, 1942, Adolf Hitler ordered all Jews in Nazi-occupied Paris to wear a yellow Star of David on their coats.

On May 29, 1953, Edmund Hillary of New Zealand and Tenzing Norgay, a Nepalese Sherpa, became the first to summit Mount Everest.

On May 28, Tenzing and Hillary set out, setting up high camp at 27,900 feet. After a freezing, sleepless night, the pair plodded on, reaching the South Summit by 9 a.m. and a steep rocky step, some 40 feet high, about an hour later. Wedging himself in a crack in the face, Hillary inched himself up what was thereafter known as the Hillary Step. Hillary threw down a rope, and Norgay followed. At about 11:30 a.m., the climbers arrived at the top of the world.

News of the success was rushed by runner from the expedition’s base camp to the radio post at Namche Bazar, and then sent by coded message to London, where Queen Elizabeth II learned of the achievement on June 1, the eve of her coronation. The next day, the news broke around the world. Later that year, Hillary and Hunt were knighted by the queen. Norgay, because he was not a citizen of a Commonwealth nation, received the lesser British Empire Medal.

Georgia Governor Jimmy Carter appeared on the cover of Time magazine on May 31, 1971.

A summit between President Ronald Reagan and Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev ended on May 31, 1988. Four years later, in 1992, Gorbachev was dancing for dollars in the United States, including the keynote address at Emory University’s graduation.

On this day in 1992, The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion by Georgia-based The Black Crowes reached number one on the Billboard US Album chart.

Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections

Governor Brian Kemp yesterday issued Executive Order 05.28.20.01, renewing the Public Health State of Emergency through July 12, 2020.

Governor Kemp also issued Executive Order 05.28.20.02, further lessening legal restrictions during the pandemic.

From a press release by the Governor’s Office:

“On March 14, 2020, I issued an Executive Order declaring a Public Health State of Emergency in Georgia due to the impact of COVID-19. To continue our fight against this dangerous virus and allow for enhanced emergency response efforts, I have twice used my authority to renew the State of Emergency. Today, after consultation with Lieutenant Governor Duncan and Speaker Ralston, I have decided to renew the State of Emergency for a third time through 11:59 PM on July 12, 2020. This declaration plays a critically important role in our battle against COVID-19. It allows for enhanced partnerships between the private and public sectors for our healthcare infrastructure, procurement of supplies, and coordination across all levels of government. As we continue to take measured steps forward, the Public Health State of Emergency provides flexibility for a cohesive response across government and within communities across Georgia.”

“Over the past few months, we have seen frontline workers, law enforcement, teachers, business owners, elected officials, community leaders, and hardworking Georgians from every corner of our state join together in the fight against COVID-19. Now, with enhanced testing capacity and encouraging data, we are seeing a slow, careful transition to a “new normal.” Already, several state agencies have begun to phase into limited, in-person operations, and the Legislature is making plans to return to the State Capitol to resume the legislative session. Across the Peach State, businesses are reopening their doors with robust safety precautions in place, and customers are slowly – but surely – returning. This progress is encouraging as we fight to stop the spread and revive our economy. But the status quo is never acceptable. We cannot rest on our laurels. From Day One of this journey, we have used data, science, and the advice of healthcare professionals like Dr. Toomey to chart our path forward. Our next step – like the ones before – puts the health and well-being of the citizenry first.”

“Today, I signed a new executive order to extend specific safety precautions, outline guidance for overnight summer camps and summer school, and outline important rules for reopening shuttered businesses. The shelter in place order for Georgians who are sixty-five and older or medically fragile will continue through June 12, 2020 with exceptions for necessary activities, including work, medical appointments, grocery shopping, home health services, and related categories. I want to thank all of those who have followed this advice and those who have helped vulnerable loved ones navigate these difficult times.”

“In this executive order, we continue to strongly encourage all Georgians and visitors to wear face coverings in public to mitigate viral spread, and restrictions remain intact for nearly every Georgia business to keep employees and customers safe.”

“For several weeks now, gatherings of more than ten people in a single location have been banned in Georgia unless there is at least six feet between each person. Given favorable data and relying on Dr. Toomey’s advice, we feel comfortable incrementally increasing that number to twenty-five. That means starting June 1, 2020, you can have gatherings of more than twenty-five people in a single location if you have at least six feet between each person.”

“Small weddings, recreational sports, and similar events will be able to resume with a little more flexibility, but we are asking everyone to stay vigilant. Please continue to follow public health advice as you engage in these activities. Wash your hands, keep your distance, wear a mask if possible, and protect the elderly and medically fragile from exposure.”

“At this time, live performance venues will remain closed. I know these closures are tough on business owners, but we will continue to watch the data to ensure the health and safety of our citizens. We are working closely with business owners, associations, and stakeholders to prepare for the future.”

“Starting May 31, 2020, overnight summer camps are permitted in Georgia if they meet thirty-three specific criteria for reopening in addition to the requirements for operating a non-critical infrastructure business. Starting June 1, 2020, bars and nightclubs can decide to reopen if they comply with strict sanitation and social distancing rules, all crafted to reflect industry practices and mitigate health risk. To open their doors, bars and nightclubs must meet thirty-nine mandatory measures to ensure patron well-being. Just to name a few, those include screening workers for illness, limiting the number of people in the building to twenty-five people or thirty-five percent of total occupancy, requiring the facility to be thoroughly and regularly sanitized, only serving drinks to seated patrons or those in designated areas, limiting party size to six people, and preventing patrons from congregating. To provide clarity for banquet facilities, private event facilities, and private reception venues, we are adding them to the same category as restaurants and dine-in services so they have clear directives for operating. This change will be a big help as these facilities reschedule important events for families – especially weddings – in coming weeks.”

“My executive order also specifically addresses the return of amateur and professional sports. Starting June 1, professional sports teams and organizations which engage in practices or other in-person operations must operate by the rules or guidelines of their respective sports league. In addition, all amateur sports that continue in-person operation must follow the guidelines for non-critical infrastructure organizations.”

“Many school districts have reached out for guidance on holding summer school. I want to thank Superintendent Woods and his team for helping us develop appropriate safeguards for educational leaders as they plan for their students’ return. Starting next month, schools and districts can hold summer school for students if they comply with eleven mandatory criteria. That includes screening workers and students for illness to prevent viral spread, enhancing campus sanitation, encouraging regular handwashing and hygiene, and keeping students separated to minimize exposure. We know how important it is for some students to be able to return to campus for in-person instruction, and these measures will accomplish that goal without compromising safety.”

“Operators of amusement park rides, traveling carnivals, water parks, circuses, and other temporary amusement rides shall not begin operation until June 12, 2020. To open at that time, they must comply with thirty-three mandatory requirements in addition to all requirements for non-critical infrastructure businesses. We appreciate the guidance that we have received from stakeholders to develop these rules and prepare for future reopenings.”

“As we have said for many weeks now, one of the most critical battlegrounds in our fight against this virus remains in our long-term care facilities, specifically in nursing homes. Over the last few weeks, the Georgia National Guard has worked closely with public health officials and the Department of Community Health to test nursing home residents and staff. Right now, forty-eight percent of all COVID-19 deaths in Georgia are connected to long-term care facilities. The earlier we test, the earlier we can intervene and try to prevent severe outcomes. As of yesterday afternoon, we have tested sixty-six percent of nursing home residents and thirty-six percent of all staff. That is in addition to nearly 2,000 infection control missions conducted with more than 900 facilities receiving two or more mission visits. This is a top priority for us as we work around the clock to protect our most vulnerable, and we will continue to do everything in our power to keep these Georgians safe. Since we began the rapid increase of our testing capacity in mid-April, we continue to remind the public and those in the media that the more we test, the more cases we will see. That is especially true with our efforts to test high-risk populations like nursing homes.”

“The multiple public-private partnerships around testing that were created in a matter of weeks to fight this pandemic have exponentially increased our testing capacity, but the nature of COVID-19 testing and reporting can sometimes lead to delays and mass reporting of results. Dr. Toomey and her team at Public Health continue to work with our private-sector partners to streamline these new processes and ensure our testing data is timely and accurate. Starting next week, Public Health will move to a daily 3 PM update on the COVID-19 website. This change will give them more time to coordinate with healthcare facilities and providers to verify information and check its accuracy before publication. We remain encouraged by the numbers that we are seeing in testing, hospitalizations, and a wide variety of other data points from across the state. We are also encouraged by the new treatment being rolled out for patients in Georgia in partnership with the Trump administration. This week, the Department of Public Health will distribute over 18,000 vials of remdesivir to eighty-five hospitals across the state. This shipment will enable these facilities to treat roughly 1,670 patients. I greatly appreciate the President and the Vice President – and the rest of the administration – for their continued support with critical supplies like remdesivir as we fight this invisible enemy together.”

“Speaking of the Trump administration, we had a call this week with the Vice President and the nation’s governors to discuss how states are moving safely to reopen their economies and get Americans working again. We also had a very productive call with Admiral Polowczyk and GEMA Director Homer Bryson to ensure Georgia continues to receive critical supplies as we take measured steps forward in our reopening process. And just this afternoon, we received fantastic news from the President. He will be extending full federal funding of National Guard activities through mid-August. That authorization was set to expire next month. The 3,000 men and women currently deployed in the Georgia National Guard have been absolutely vital in our fight against COVID-19. They have helped deliver millions of pounds of foods to students and Georgians in need, they have been the backbone of our testing program, and they have done lifesaving work in our nursing homes and long-term care facilities. Thanks to the President’s support, that work will continue. This is a huge help to our state’s ongoing war against the invisible enemy. As I have said many times before, the level of access and responsiveness from the President, Vice President, and the Trump administration is unprecedented and has been a huge benefit to our state as we combat COVID-19.”

“Before I turn it over for questions, I wanted to mention a couple of important items. First, Georgia continues to lag behind other states in participation for the 2020 Census. The form only takes a few minutes, so please take the time to complete it. This initiative literally shapes the future of our state, so we need as many Georgians taking part as possible, and we have a long way to go. All you have to do is visit my2020Census.gov, call 1-844-330-2020, or mail back the paper form that you receive by mail.”

“Many people have asked for guidance on attending in-person services at places of worship, especially in light of the President’s call to action for governors to reopen churches and religious facilities. Here in Georgia, we never closed places of worship, but we encouraged congregations to hold online or drive-in services to mitigate the risk of exposure. Now, many churches and religious institutions are beginning to reopen their doors for traditional services, and we ask Georgians to continue to heed public health advice if they decide to attend in-person. Please use social distancing, wash your hands, protect the elderly and medically fragile, and prioritize your health. Thank you again to the faith leaders who answered the call and held remote services as we battled the spread of coronavirus. Your leadership saved lives.”

“Finally, we are urging all Georgians not to hold off on important medical appointments. I cannot stress this enough: do not risk a bad health outcome by postponing necessary check-ups, screenings, and procedures. Healthcare systems are having to furlough workers in the middle of a pandemic due to decreased demand for traditional services. Please get these appointments on your calendar, and help us get our healthcare providers back to work. Now, we will take questions.”

You can watch the Governor’s address here on Facebook.

From the AJC:

His remarks come as state figures show an increase in week-to-week cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. It’s unclear, however, whether it’s a statistical blip or represents a significant change.

Pressed on the increase Thursday, Kemp described it as a “backlog” from 15,000 tests recently added to state databases that date to late April.

“We’re not seeing anything that’s concerning,” he said, adding that cases could potentially increase as testing ramps up, particularly among nursing home residents.

“We expect that population’s percent of positives is going to be higher than the normal population, so it’s not unusual that we’re seeing a little bit of flattening of our downward trajectory or perhaps a little increase on a certain day,” Kemp said.

Experts say that an expansion of the state’s diagnostic testing system and a recent, one-time spike in reporting from a commercial lab are unlikely to be the only reasons why week-to-week counts of confirmed cases of COVID-19 jumped 26%.

Infections are likely increasing now that more Georgians are moving around with the partial end of the state’s shelter-in-place order, said Dr. Carlos del Rio, the chairman of the global health department at Emory University.

But he also expressed confidence Georgia can avoid more large-scale infections if people use “good common sense,” practice social distancing and wear a mask.

“If the virus comes back, I don’t see us shutting down our economy anymore,” he told reporters in Columbus. “We’ve got to figure out how to live with the virus. There are some very smart people doing that every day.”

Vice President Mike Pence will return to Atlanta today, according to 11Alive.

Vice President Mike Pence will be in Georgia again on Friday, exactly one week after he was in the state for a lunch and business roundtable.

According to the White House, Pence will arrive at Dobbins Air Reserve Base in Marietta shortly before 10 a.m., and then attend a memorial service for the Christian evangelist Ravi Zacharias, who died earlier this month.

Afterward, Pence will lead a conversation with small business owners on reopening the economy and leave Georgia sometime tomorrow evening.

The principle cause for Pence’s latest visit, Zacharias was highly influential in the world of evangelical philosophy and ministry through nearly a half-century of work. He founded Ravi Zacharias International Ministries in Toronto in the early 1980s and eventually moved it to Atlanta.

When he died on May 19, Pence called the Indian-born faith leader a “man of faith who could ‘rightly handle the word of truth’ like few others in our time & he was my friend.”

From the AJC:

The arrival of Vice President Mike Pence on Friday morning will trigger the closure of several Atlanta roadways.

Roads will close as the vice presidential motorcade moves about the city Friday, beginning with I-75 in Cobb County. Air Force Two is expected to touch down at Dobbins Air Reserve Base in Marietta about 10 a.m.

Drivers can expect rolling road closures as the motorcade travels from Marietta to Passion City Church in Buckhead for the memorial service, which is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. The service is not open to the public and will be streamed live online.

The exact route the vice president will take is unknown, but there could be closures along I-75, I-285 and Ga. 400, as well as surface streets near the church on Garson Drive.

The Georgia Department of Labor yesterday released information on April unemployment numbers.

The Georgia Department of Labor (GDOL) announced today that April’s unemployment numbers for Georgia’s Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs), regions, and counties are at a reported all-time high across all categories. Regional commissions reportedunemployment rates at all-time highs in Atlanta, Coastal Georgia, GA Mountains, Northeast GA, Northwest GA, River Valley and Three Rivers, with Coastal Georgia topping out at 14 percent. Georgia county unemployment documented record highs with the highest unemployment rates in Whitfield County at 20.6 percent, Murray County at 20.1 percent, Clay County at 18.1 percent, Chattooga County at 17.1 percent, Glynn County at 17.0 percent, Chatham County at 16.4 percent, Clayton County at 16.0 percent, Meriwether County at 15.8 percent, Troup County at 15.4 percent, and Heard County at 15.1 percent.

“We are seeing all-time high unemployment rates across a majority of the state,” said Commissioner Mark Butler. “We are continuing to work with employers on effective strategies to get Georgians back to work in both a safe and economically efficient way.”

Weekly regular UI initial claims totaled 165,499, down 12,000 over the previous week. Of the weekly total, 112,910 (69%) were employer filed claims. Initial claims have declined three of the last four weeks. Payments over last week totaled $159,501,356 in regular weekly unemployment benefits, down $28 million over the prior week. This is the first decline in weekly benefits paid since week ending March 21. Since that date, over $1.087 billion has been paid in regular UI benefits, more than the last three years combined ($923 million).

“We are being challenged to pay millions of Georgians in unemployment benefits as quickly as possible while also being expected to verify eligibility,” said Commissioner Butler. “We are relying on our partnerships with state agencies to assist us in meeting this demand accurately and expeditiously.”

That is staggering.

The Georgia Secretary of State is asking again for Georgians to return their absentee ballots, according to the Valdosta Daily Times.

With less than two weeks before the June 9 primary, more than 1.5 million Georgians have requested absentee ballots but only 40% of those voters have returned the ballots to the state while nearly all requested absentee ballots — 90% — have been sent to voters mailboxes, Raffensperger said.

While vote-by-mail has propelled partisan politics, Georgia’s Republican elections chief has maintained a push for as many voters as possible to use the absentee ballot process to reduce risk of coronavirus spread, long lines at polling places and ease the process for disabled voters who must vote in person.

“We have cut through the political rhetoric, ignored the talking heads and put you — the voter — first,” he said during a Thursday press conference. “We have maintained your right to choose in this election. If you want to vote from the safety of your home, you can. If you prefer in-person, you may.”

But early voting hasn’t been without hiccups caused by the pandemic — a number of polling locations across the state have closed and some Fulton County voters are still waiting on ballots after a computer server error caused a backlog of email applications.

Elections results may take longer to be released because of the large number of absentee ballots, he said. The state purchased high-speed scanners to deploy to counties with large numbers of absentee ballots to assist in counting on election night.

Vice President Governor  Democrat Stacey Abrams‘s voting rights groups will be watching the elections, according to CBS News.

Fair Fight PAC, is launching its outreach efforts Thursday, over social media. It will be asking voters who have not received ballots to contact Fair Fight’s voter protection team to talk about their experiences. In a statement to CBS News before the launch, Fair Fight voter protection director Liza Conrad said the primary “has been marred by postponed elections and absentee ballot request forms riddled with errors, causing voter confusion.”

The secretary of state’s office had to re-send 323,000 new absentee ballot request forms to voters who may not have received the forms because they were accidentally sent to incorrect addresses. Some forms listed the wrong return address, and some of the instructions were wrong.

Freelance writer Anjali Enjeti, a Fulton County voter and former Abrams campaign volunteer, told CBS News that she and her husband both submitted their absentee ballot request forms on April 16th to an email address listed on the top of her ballot request form, but over a month later, neither she nor her husband had received their ballots.

“I reached out to the Georgia Democratic Party voter protection team on Saturday, May 23rd.” Enjeti said. “They told me to re-send my application to a different email address at Fulton County.” After sending her application to the different address, she was able to get her absentee ballot issued.

Enjeti is not alone. Other Fulton County voters are facing lengthy waits in receiving their ballots, and they’re taking their concerns to social media. Kaleb McMichen, communications director for Georgia state House Speaker David Ralston, tweeted on May 25th, “Been waiting on my ballot to arrive since April 8. 47 days and counting…” McMichen told CBS News he, too, is a Fulton County voter. According to the state elections office, his ballot application was processed on Monday.

Georgia state legislator David Dreyer, whose district includes Fulton County, blames the vendor for the delays and said the state hasn’t done enough to help the county election offices.

“The secretary of state, pushing absentee voting, not providing additional resources to counties which will need it under any circumstance, much less with COVID, and then requiring that an out-of-state third party vendor mail the ballots, which has also resulted in a delay, has led to a lot of the delays we’ve seen so far now.”

The Chatham County Board of Elections has changed a number of polling locations after the original arrangments were unavailable due to the pandemic, according to the Savannah Morning News.

Soon after Georgia’s secretary of state postponed the March 14 Presidential Preference Primary due to COVID-19 restrictions, Chatham County elections officials began a review of all 92 polling locations in anticipation that some locations might be unavailable.

Chatham officials secured 80 of the county’s usual polling locations, and worked with several entities to obtain the following temporary polls for locations which are unavailable:

Chatham officials continue to seek alternative sites for three polling locations that still need a replacement. Anyone with a facility that may serve as a polling place in the vicinity of the locations listed below are encouraged to contact the Board of Elections at elections@chathamcounty.org, or call 912-201-4375.

Mailed in ballots outpace in-person advance voting in Bulloch County, according to the Statesboro Herald.

Our mail has definitely exceeded the in-person,” said Bulloch County Deputy Registrar Shontay Jones.

The numbers she provided showed that to be putting it mildly. As of about 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, 560 people had cast ballots in person since advanced voting opened May 18. But 4,802 absentee-by-mail ballots had been completed and accepted back at the Bulloch County Board of Elections and Registration office.

That was out of 9,571 previously mailed absentee ballots counted as valid. Actually, 9,853 had been mailed to voters, but 281 of those had been cancelled, such as for voters who requested absentee ballots but then decided to vote in person, and one ballot was listed as “spoiled.”

Glynn County voters can vote in advance Saturday at three in-person locations, according to The Brunswick News.

Georgia Senate President Pro Tem Butch Miller (R-Gainesville) pushed back on the notion of asking teachers to take a pay rate cut, according to the AJC.

While state employees and teachers may still face furloughs because of the coronavirus recession, a top Georgia Senate leader said Thursday that they won’t be asked to work the same hours for less pay.

Senate President Pro Tem Butch Miller, R-Gainesville, dumped cold water on a suggestion that Senate budget writers made Tuesday that pre-k teachers work the same hours for 10% less pay, rather than be furloughed.

Teachers were angered by the idea and by comments made Tuesday by Senate budget writers who questioned the willingness of educators to “sacrifice” for the children they teach.

“As the General Assembly has anticipated, there will be drastic cuts in this year’s budget due to COVID-19,” Miller wrote. “However, educators, first responders, and staffers are incredible assets to the functions of our state.

“Asking them to work the same hours for less pay, as some have suggested, is unacceptable. While furlough days are not ideal, we certainly will not be asking state employees to work without adequate compensation.”

The AJC reports that a majority of survey respondents favor raising the tobacco tax.

Nearly three-quarters of Georgia voters said they support increasing the state tax on tobacco products to help make up for the budget shortfall caused by the coronavirus pandemic, according to a new poll by a group advocating for the increase.

In the poll, respondents were asked, “generally speaking, instead of an income tax increase, would you support or oppose a targeted tax increase of $1.50 per pack on cigarettes that would raise almost $500 million toward balancing the budget?” Of the 500 people contacted for the poll, 373 said they support the tobacco tax increase.

The Ledger-Enquirer looks at what state budget cuts could mean for Columbus State University.

The University of Georgia announced a phased reopening plan, according to the Athens Banner Herald.

The University of Georgia will begin a phased campus reopening June 15.

A three-phased plan for “a carefully planned and measured reopening” that UGA administrators announced Thursday looks ahead to August and a hoped-for return of students and faculty to UGA’s campuses.

The announcement lists no dates for when the second and third phases will begin. UGA classes are scheduled to begin Aug. 20, and as yet, university administrators have announced no changes in that schedule.

In the first phase beginning June 15, primarily essential staff and supervisors will return.

Those workers’ main responsibility will be to make sure the campus is ready for a second wave of returning workers — making sure building systems are working properly and the like.

Gwinnett County Public Schools is delivering free books via bookmobile, according to the Gwinnett Daily Post.

[G]iven this year’s pandemic situation and concerns about social distancing, instead of allowing kids to check out and return books, the bookmobiles are delivering books through the Books 2 Kids program that students get to keep.

Throughout June and July, the mobile libraries will visit more than 80 school locations and allow children to choose two new books to take home and keep for their personal library.

In addition to individual school events, the bookmobile will visit all GCPS middle schools to ensure students in every cluster have the opportunity to select books for summer reading.

“The mission of the bookmobile is still to get books into children’s hands, and this need is even more critical now,” GCPS’s Director of Media Services Mary Barbee said. “In the current health crisis, we could not safely use our traditional neighborhood checkout model. Instead, Books 2 Kids brings new, popular books to schools and students who come by and pick free books to keep. With this program, we are able to maintain social distancing while giving kids a chance to pick the book they are most likely to read at home.”

Rome City Schools has a tentative budget for the next school year with no tax increase, according to the Rome News Tribune.

A preliminary plan and budget request was unanimously approved by the school board during a special called meeting Thursday. It’s the first step in the process of getting the system’s budget approved by the Rome City Commission.

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic forced the suspension of the state legislature’s annual session in March. The Georgia General Assembly will not reconvene until mid-June and is not expected to pass a state budget until sometime in July.

That will leave local systems a short amount of time to finalize a budget for the 2020-2021 term that starts the first week of August.

Byars said he has spoken to city officials about having a “true up” after the end of the fiscal year next July, because the school system is estimating both its property tax collections and its state funding.

Suwanee will offer business license tax credits due to the pandemic, according to the Gwinnett Daily Post.

The city council recently voted to offer a business license tax credit to businesses in the city for either their 2020 or 2021 business license, including new businesses that open between now and March 2021. Up to $500 in tax credits can be applied to the license, officials said.

“With citizens practicing social distancing and other restrictions, an enormous economic strain has been placed on our local businesses,” Suwanee Mayor Jimmy Burnette said. “The city council developed this program in hopes of helping businesses make it through these increasing difficult times.”

City officials said they want Suwanee’s businesses to remain successful. The tax credit comes after city officials previously agreed to extend the business license deadline from March 31 to May 29.

“We’ve chosen to undertake this tax credit in order to respond to the economic challenges many are currently facing,” Suwanee City Manager Marty Allen said. “We greatly value our business community and want to support their success. The city will continue to evaluate our options as the situation evolves.”