Georgia preservation leaders react to Kemp veto of historic tax credit bill
Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation President and CEO Wright Mitchell says the veto will stall economic revitalization and historic preservation efforts across Georgia.
MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Historic preservation leaders across Georgia say Governor Brian Kemp’s veto of House Bill 376 could slow revitalization projects and leave historic buildings vacant across the state.
One week ago, Kemp vetoed House Bill 376, a legislative measure that would have expanded the state’s historic rehabilitation tax credit program by doubling the annual cap on credits from $30 million to $60 million.
Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation President and CEO Wright Mitchell says the veto will stall economic revitalization and historic preservation efforts across Georgia.
“We’re very disappointed obviously; we worked very hard to get this legislation passed. It passed the house and the senate with bipartisan support, so, we were very disappointed that the Governor vetoed the bill, and we believe it’s a short, sided decision on his part. The program is dead right now, so there are no financial incentives available for owner of properties. So, what we’re going to see is a lot more buildings that remain vacant and not in use,” said Mitchell.
Mitchell believes Georgia legislators should look to other states such as Texas and Florida to figure out different ways to fund historic buildings in Georgia.
“If you’ve eaten at a restaurant in a historic building or visited a hotel that’s in an historic building; those projects most likely used tax credits. So, it’s a financial incentive that allows developers and owners of historic buildings to rehabilitate those buildings and put them back into service. And it’s a tool that really de phrase the high expense of rehabilitating these historic buildings, so it’s an important tool for historic preservation in the state of Georgia,” said Mitchell.
Executive Director of the Historic Macon Foundation Emily Hopkins says Macon could feel the impact of the veto because of the city’s large number of historic properties and redevelopment projects.
“We had eight properties we identified in downtown Macon alone; that would benefit from the commercial historic tax credits. So, the future of those is a little unknown. My assumption is that those will be paused until the next legislative session; were we’ll advocate for a similar bill again to bring this tool back and make it available for getting these projects done,” said Hopkins.
Milledgeville Mayor Mary Parham-Copelan says Georgia Military College projects could also be impacted by the veto.
“We have two new projects coming along, I’m not sure if there banking on that or not, but it surely would affect them, if they are. Hopefully there not, there in the middle of getting everything done, so hopefully it won’t affect them as bad,” said Copelan.
Mayor Copelan and Hopkins say residents should continue speaking out about the importance of the legislation.
“This is where your vote counts. This is where putting people in place hear you, not just see you, but hear you; this is what I pride myself on, because at the end of the day, these are the ones we have to keep happy. They elect us to do the right thing,” said Copelan.
“I think this is where the power of the people comes into play. I think people should say they want this bill to pass because we understand the importance of it. I would encourage people to advocate and answer our call to action when we ask them to help us pass the similar bill next year,” said Hopkins.
Both the Historic Macon Foundation and Milledgeville say they will continue working with the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation to advocate for similar legislation in the future.
