Latest news with #SavannahAreaChamberofCommerce
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Savannah-Chatham superintendent lauds 'significant voter turnout' for ESPLOST election
"Collectively, when I say 'Together We Can' this is exactly what I mean," said Savannah-Chatham County Public School System Superintendent Denise Watts regarding the county's approval of the fifth Education Special Purchase Local Option Sales Tax (ESPLOST) referendum. During a press conference on Wednesday afternoon, she lauded "a significant voter turnout" for Tuesday's special election despite 94.19% of eligible voters opting not to show at the polls. The referendum was the first March vote for an ESPLOST measure, which also made it the only item on the ballot. The special election also took place the day after Savannah's St. Patrick Day Parade and Festival. Each of these factors presented previously unexplored variables for an ESPLOST vote. "Nobody really knew how it was going to go...I was even nervous about how it would go," Watts said Wednesday. She said that since this was her first ESPLOST vote, she did not have a historical number to base a potential outcome against. She reiterated that the vote received a 64.37% approval among 5.81% of eligible Chatham County voters. As previously reported, the approval rate is the third highest of all the ESPLOST votes. Conversely, the referendum's disapproval rate is also the third highest for an ESPLOST vote with 35.63% of voters going against the measure. Ultimately, she was "happy to announce" the significant win for the district, which will allow it to address facilities projects large and small. She referred to a top priority being "one of our flagship projects," which is Pooler's first high school. She said the district will continue to be good stewards of its and the community's resources to ensure students "have quality learning opportunities and facilities to learn in." She expressed her gratitude for for the opportunity to "galvanize the community around something that we know will leave a lasting benefit." She thanked community partners, families and her district team for their efforts and insights throughout the proposal development process. Watts also acknowledged the support of the Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce, for which she is listed as a member of the board of directors. School district Chief Public Affairs and Administrative Services Officer Kurt Hetager clarified that the chamber invites the school system to be represented on the board, but that the superintendent traditionally does not attend the meetings. "We have a strategic partner coordinator in our engagement and outreach department that attends," he said. Watts did confirm that she had given an informational presentation on ESPLOST to the Chamber board prior to its endorsement. She said she "was asked to leave the room when ESPLOST V was discussed" following the presentation. All is quiet on the voting front: 5.81% of Savannah-Chatham County voters pass ESPLOST The voters' approval of ESPLOST extends the already-existing 1% sales tax designated for public school capital projects. The first penny tax was first approved nearly 20 years ago and has gained voters' support ever since. Here's another look back at the historical turnout over all past ESPLOST votes: ESPLOST I vote on Sept. 19, 2006 *Special election Total: 23,801 Yes: 13,276 (60.28%) No: 10,525 (39.72%) ESPLOST II vote on Nov. 8 2011 Total: 39,313 Yes: 26,930 (67.13%) No: 12,923 (32.87%) ESPLOST III vote on Nov. 8, 2016 *Presidential Election year Total: 108,020 Yes: 64,468 (59.68%) No: 43,552 (40.32%) ESPLOST IV vote on Nov. 2, 2021 Total: 22,612 Yes: 16,765 (74.14%) No: 5,847 (25.86%) ESPLOST V on March 18, 2025 *Special election Total: 12,240** Yes: 7,879 (64.37%) No: 4,361 (35.63%) **12,251 ballots were cast but Chatham County Elections Supervisor Billy Wooten confirmed that 11 voters checked in, printed their ballots and cast them but the ballots were blank. Joseph Schwartzburt is the education and workforce development reporter for the Savannah Morning News. You can reach him at JSchwartzburt@ and JoeInTheKnow_SMN on Instagram. This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Savannah-Chatham superintendent happy with ESPLOST outcome
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Savannah Area Chamber travels to Charleston to talk regional growth
SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) — The Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce traveled to Charleston Thursday to discuss the growing pains of tourism in the two cities. Leaders explored how communities can collaborate to address the challenges of growth when a major economic development comes to the area. The two cities are twins in many ways with their ports, airports, downtown trolleys, and tourism. Joint Development and Regional Growth Savannah area leaders, similar to Charleston, say they're taking a regional approach to growth. According to Tim Keane, Chief of Planning, Permitting, and Engineering with Charleston, planning regionally 'Many people think of us as the same place, and we're not obviously, but there are things that we do share,' Keane said. 'The ports, airports, tourism and transportation are all similarities.' Savannah Economic Development Authority (SEDA) CEO Jesse Dillon and Regional Industry Support Enterprise (RISE) President and CEO Anna Chafin both talked about the need for more industry in our area which led to the recruitment of the Hyundai Metaplant in Bryan County. Transportation Needs Congestion on the roadways is a part of growth, panelists said. Transportation was also a major discussion point, leaders taking a closer look at travel improvements, including rapid bus service designed to connect the workforce with manufacturing, and its funding sources when a sale tax referendum does not pass. Savannah Area Chamber members and guests traveled to North Charleston on the Amtrak train. Mayor Van Johnson noted improvements that could be made to the Savannah station, comparing it to the much more updated space in Charleston. Charleston created a city transportation plan in 2018, with funding from a half cent transportation sales tax. Charleston Councilman Michael Seekings applauded a joint transit project called Lowcountry Rapid Transit, 21.3 miles of infrastructure and improvements. Seekings says they anticipate 7,600 daily riders on the line, which is a 70-minute end-to-end travel time. 'Before, it was all about roads,' Reveer Group President and CEO Rhett Reidenbach said. 'Today, roads are very unpopular. With the growth, people are more worried about green space being impacted.' Savannah is working on its own transportation plan, called 'Savannah Moves', according to Chief of Planning and Economic Development Faye DiMassimo. In 2023, Chatham Area Transit (CAT) Board of Directors approved the Master Transit Plan, an investment strategy from 2024-2050. 'We've got the tools in our tool kit to do great things,' DiMassimo said. Tourism and Quality of Life Speakers also explored the intersection of tourism, booming sports interest and quality of life, discussing how to balance economic growth with community well-being and sustainability. North Charleston Mayor Reggie Burgess touched on this when welcoming the chamber members to the Amtrak station, saying leaders need to put the citizens first and work with them. Childcare, workforce, affordable housing and infrastructure funding are four main points of investment for Charleston Regional Development Alliance (CRDA), according to Board Member Jason Brown. Housing challenges Another panel takes a deep dive into developing housing in the booming economic region and the challenges such as land and construction costs, infrastructure demands and affordable options to accommodate a growing workforce. Charleston Home Builders Association Adrian Cain says homes aren't being built fast enough, leading to rent and home prices doubling and tripling. The median home price is over $500,000, according to Zillow. Cain added that the average first time home buyer isn't able to live where they work. 'I think housing is the largest existential threat to our area,' Cain said. 'What we do not do a good job of is connecting rooftops, jobs, and roads… We can and must do better.' In Savannah, the case is a little better. The median home price is over $319,000, according to Zillow. Housing Savannah Laura Lane McKinnon shared that many people find it difficult to understand housing initiatives and techniques. They've had several collaborative meeting with developers to receive feedback from community members. Cain also mentioned that there's room for housing if governments take a closer look at zoning and empty buildings that could be developed into homes. A spokesperson with the Savannah Area Chamber tells News 3, they look to continue city to city collaboration to learn from other officials in areas with booming growth. This is a developing story. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
19-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Talent Tuesday: Congratulations, Bunny Ware
SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) — For the past 30 years, Bunny Ware has captured the quirky, comical and memorable personalities of Savannah. Some people know her as Bunny in the City, from 13 years writing a column for Savannah Morning News. Others know her from 'Where is Bunny Ware', a TV segment that we host here on WSAV every Friday. Recently, Bunny received the Small Business Advocate of the Year award from the Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce. This honor represents Bunny's sincere passion for working with all people, crisscrossing southeast Georgia to showcase people, places, and the positives. Bunny joins WSAV's Tina Tyus-Shaw to talk about her work, and what the award means to her. You can also check out Bunny's galleries on the WSAV website by searching Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
