NEWS

This past week, members of the islands communities met to discuss the possibility of incorporation. Some suggested the Savannah Area Chamber is encouraging the islands to consolidate with the City of Savannah, which is not accurate. Some suggested the Chamber is promoting a process to have a county-wide vote carry precedence over an islands resident vote on the issue, which is also not accurate.
Home-rule, with votes deciding their respective interests, especially when considering incorporation or consolidation, is critical. The islands, The Landings and any other incorporated portion of Chatham County should have their votes drive their future.

Structuring a government, providing services and managing broad voter/resident expectations is a large and difficult undertaking; harder still is the time-consuming and too-often thankless job of being an elected official. The Landings has done a great deal of research and study which provides thoughtful financial, political and managerial insight to their potential incorporation.

The Chamber urges careful study and consideration from any community with interest in either incorporating independently or consolidating with another community, as has always been the necessary practice. Therefore, the Chamber recommends that any remaining areas of the Chatham County Special Service District (SSD) should undertake a thorough evaluation of revenues, costs and required and desired services to be delivered if considering incorporation, consolidation or annexation. That concept of study is supported by the Chamber when the state delegation officials consider funding a ‘consolidation study.’

We urge careful study and consideration while being hopeful that our state delegation might help make that research possible through funding support.

For more information on the Chamber’s priorities or positions, visit our website at SavannahChamber.com.