Blackshear now has a Downtown Development Authority (DDA) to help facilitate the preservation and revitalization of the city’s downtown business district. The city council unanimously passed a motion to form a DDA at their regular meeting October 15.
At the city council’s October 8 work session, Mayor Keith Brooks commented that forming such an authority merely brings Blackshear into line with other small Georgia communities that already have similar organizations.
Rather than replacing them, the newly formed DDA will work in conjunction with the Better Hometown and Main Street programs. City documents state “the establishment of a Downtown Development Authority will enable the city to more effectively plan, implement and finance projects and programs to encourage the development and preservation of the downtown district.”
The DDA itself will function as a public corporate entity with the power to buy, sell, and lease property, issue bonds and enter into contracts. These functions will be directed by a board of directors.
Membership of the inaugural DDA board consists of appointees Mat Boatright, Zach Lee, Jennifer Jernigan, Jeremy Gove. Jamie Williamson and Quincy Burgess. Boatright and Lee’s terms expire in 2027. Jernigan, Gove and Williamson’s terms expire in 2028. Burgess’ term will expire in 2029. The resolution creating the DDA board specifies “each appointee shall serve the term specified above and until a successor is duly appointed and qualified.”
However, the resolution also specifies the board shall be comprised of seven members and only seven are listed on copies of the official paperwork provided to The Times, which will update this story once the seventh member is named.
