Albany, Dougherty commissions OK funding for National Guard armory move
Project would move Billy Manning Georgia Guard armory onboard Marine Corps Logistics Base-Albany
By Carlton Fletcher
ALBANY — In a rare and somewhat historic joint meeting Tuesday morning, the Dougherty County and Albany City commissions supplied the final pieces of the financial puzzle that will facilitate the move of the Monroe Street Command Sgt. Major Billy G. Manning Readiness Center onboard Marine Corps Logistics Base-Albany.
Gov. Nathan Deal included $1.1 million of the $1.5 million projected to build the facility at the local Marine base in his supplemental Fiscal Year 2016 budget, and both local commissions passed resolutions at the special called joint meeting to contribute $200,000 each to cover the remainder of the cost.
“We’ve got a one-stop shop now,” County Commissioner Anthony Jones beamed after the meeting. “It’s like the governor said he’d take care of the meal, and the city and county got the tip.”
Former Dougherty County Commission Chairman Jeff Sinyard and retired Maj. Gen. Ed Cassity, both members of the Georgia Military Affairs Coordinating Committee and the Southwest Georgia Alliance, were on hand at the joint meeting to cover specifics of the proposal. Following their presentation, the city and then the county boards voted unanimously to approve resolutions that would amend each’s budget to supply funding for the armory.
Both bodies also voted to allow their respective day-to-day managers, the city’s Sharon Subadan and the county’s Richard Crowdis, to continue working on the project on behalf of their respective boards.
“This has been a long time coming, but it will have a lasting impact on our community for years to come,” Sinyard said. “It will strengthen the Marine base’s ties with our community, it will enhance our standing in the event of a future BRAC (Base Realignment and Closure commission) and it will build momentum for future opportunities on the base.”
Cassity said moving the National Guard facility onboard MCLB-Albany, plus the recent move of the Veterans health care facility, improves the base’s competitiveness when BRAC hearings are conducted.
“Being an efficient, multitasking installation is essential to competitiveness,” Cassity said. “Your financial support today demonstrates to the governor and to the Corps that Albany and Dougherty County are ready to step up to the plate.”
Hubbard said Tuesday’s resolutions are the results of years of work behind the scenes.
“There are those of us who have been working on this project since 2002,” the Albany mayor said. “The saw the momentum build then drop off, and just last year there was very little hope that this day would come. But today is an example of what can happen when you believe in what you’re doing and you just keep working. This is a big win for our community.”
County Commission Chairman Chris Cohilas, who co-chaired Tuesday’s meeting with Hubbard, said the buy-in from both governing boards is vital to the project moving forward.
“We’re so thankful that the governor saw fit to include this project in his budget,” Cohilas said. “It is only fitting, then, that we move this project forward by jointly supplying the $400,000 necessary to supplement the cost of the project.”
Sinyard, who read parts of letters of support for the project from U.S. Marine Corps Commanding Officer Col. James C. Carroll III and Georgia Army National Guard Adjutant General Joseph Jarrard, offered a long list of officials he said was instrumental in moving the Guard project forward, including Deal; members of the local legislative delegation; the Marine Corps and state National Guard; past and present MCLB-Albany officers; national Georgia Congressmen Johnny Isakson, David Perdue, Sanford Bishop and Austin Scott; the Southwest Georgia Alliance; the Georgia Military Affairs Coordinating Committee; the Albany Area Chamber of Commerce; the Albany-Dougherty Economic Development Commission, and members of the city and county commissions.
“I think it’s important that the people in the community also know how hard Dot (Hubbard) and Chris (Cohilas) worked to keep this project moving forward,” Sinyard said. “This demonstrates what our officials can do when they work together.”
Jeff Sinyard, right, shakes hands with Dougherty County Commissioner Harry James as Commission Chairman Chris Cohilas, left, and Commissioner John Hayes look on. (Staff Photo: Carlton Fletcher)
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