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Tri-County EMC Helps to Boost Community Through Georgia’s House Bill 431    

>> Thanks to legislation passed in 2005, Tri-County EMC recently granted over $67,000 to seven local organizations and increased scholarship and leadership education opportunities through the cooperative for local students. The funds were part of unclaimed capital credits, essentially margins that the non-profit cooperative unsuccessfully attempted to return to former members and would have in past years had to refund to the state of Georgia. In January, the cooperative’s board of directors elected to use the funds to benefit economic development efforts, education in the community and a 501 (c)(3) organization.

Of the funds disbursed, $29,154 was split among the development authorities in Baldwin, Jones and Putnam Counties. The American Cancer Society, through the Relay for Life efforts in Baldwin, Jones and Putnam Counties, was awarded $4,500. Central Georgia Technical College (CGTC) received $15,000 to benefit the campuses located within Tri-County’s service area. And $18,400 went to increase three cooperative sponsored scholarships to $2,000 and to fund an additional student’s participation in the Washington Youth Tour for two years.

Signed into law in May of 2005, House Bill 431 allows Georgia’s 42 EMCs, including Tri-County EMC, to use unclaimed capital credits for the sole purposes of funding education, economic development and 501(c)(3) charitable organizations in EMC service areas.  In past years, these funds were held for five years and then turned over to the state of Georgia. The cooperative already raises over $80,000 per year for Operation Roundup, a charitable 501(c)(3) foundation, through voluntary member contributions.

“We are very excited about now having the ability to use these funds locally.  While we cannot use them for the cooperative’s expenses or to offset our rates, we can put them to work in the community,” says Greg Mullis, vice president of energy services, who coordinates the electric cooperative’s own economic development efforts. 
 “Tri-County EMC’s donation to the CGTC Foundation will be reinvested into Baldwin, Jones and Putnam counties for its citizens,” said Dr. Melton Palmer, Jr., president of CGTC. “We are very honored to be one of the recipients of the funds and will use them for technical education to continue to support the college’s mission within each community.” 

Said Bill Mathews, executive director of the Jones County Chamber of Commerce and Development Authority which received a portion of the funds, “This is an example of how an organization can be responsive to the needs of a community.  Certainly, Jones County needs economic development growth. This money will go a long way in helping us achieve that goal.” (54118-01) <<