ATLANTA — State Representatives Darrel Ealum (D-Albany) and Gerald Greene (R-Cuthbert) met yesterday with Governor Nathan Deal, Adjutant General Joe Jarrard, and members of the Georgia National Guard during a ceremony honoring Georgia National Guard Day at the Capitol.
“It has been an honor to work with Gov. Deal throughout this budget process, and I applaud his efforts to bring increased stability to our Southwest Georgia Marine Base,” said Rep. Greene. “Georgia has the fifth largest military population in the nation, and with these proposed funds, we are one step closer to ensuring the sustainability and longevity of Albany’s Marine Base.”
“It was an honor to speak with Gov. Deal and to personally thank him for the Marine Base allocations in his budget proposal,” said Rep. Ealum. “Stationing the Georgia National Guard aboard our Marine Base will provide long-term justifications for retention of our Southwest Georgia Marine Base, and my colleagues and I are committed to ensuring these funds make their way to the final budget.”
Gov. Deal’s FY 2017 budget calls for a $1.1 million allocation to be put towards stationing the Georgia National Guard on board the Marine Corps Logistics Base in Albany. The total projected cost of the transfer is $1.5 million with $200,000 being contributed by both the Albany City Commission and the Dougherty County Commission. If approved, the project could begin as early as July 1, 2016.
For more information on Gov. Deal’s FY2017 budget proposal, please click here.