Highway expansion? Workforce training? 4 things to watch in 2023 in Effingham County

Majority Leader and presumptive Speaker of the House Jon Burns and House District 161 representative Bill Hitchens met with local leaders and community members at the Effingham County Eggs and Issues Breakfast to comb over legislative priorities for 2023.

Transportation will be the focal point heading into the state session and programs to support economic prosperity are also of interest.

Here is what you need to know:

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Transportation: Highway 21 expansion coming?

Residents in Effingham County are fed up with the lack of transportation options. Motorists are stressed from hour long commutes in Chatham County and complain of 18-wheelers clogging major arteries.

Talks of the Effingham Parkway began in the late 90s. Some three decades later, residents are beginning to see construction work on the $56 million project expected to be complete in April 2025.

As the county braces for the opening of the Hyundai plant in Bryan County, officials face growing pressure to expand Highway 21 but talks of relief are still in the beginning stages.

“I drive down (Highway) 21 just like everyone else,” said Hitchens. “This is the one thing people won’t let me forget about. We’ve been pushing to make it six lanes.”

Highway 21, a key road for drivers in Effingham County, is part of a study being conducted by the Georgia Department of Transportation.

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“It looks at the coastal area and incorporates Chatham, Effingham, Bryan and Bulloch County and looks at transportation issues in the whole area because of the overall development and we're all in that JDA together,” said Burns. “But I can assure you that Highway 21 will be a priority because it is one of the areas that needs a lot of attention.”

Some 20,000 residents travel to work outside Effingham County every day. Burns added keeping more folks in the county will alleviate traffic woes and the return financially will pay off in a big way.

“When we employ our local folks at home, that is a great economic opportunity for our citizens,” said Burns.

Mental health: Increase funding and policies

Former Speaker of the House David Ralston was on a mission to make mental health care accessible for all Georgians. Before his untimely death, he championed House Bill 1013, which aims to make mental health care services more accessible, including solving problems with insurance providers and providing a solid workforce to meet each patient’s needs.

The bill removes the ugly stain as the state’s 48th ranking for access to mental health care services and was signed by Gov. Brian Kemp on April 4.

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Burns and Hitchens agreed the state needs to make progress and increase funding and policies to support mental health services. “We want to continue to work on that because we know how important it is,” said Burns.

Dr. Fran Witt, president and CEO of the Effingham Health System, said funding for mental health is vital to ensuring the wellbeing of residents in the county.

"Like hospitals across the nation, we need funding to assist with recovery strategies resulting from ongoing challenges from the pandemic, to assist with recapturing volume and revenue related to workforce shortages, as well as supply chain issues and inflation,” said Witt. "It was reassuring to hear both Rep. Bill Hitchens and Rep. Jon Burns express continued support for mental health services and programs that are needed in Effingham.”

Workforce development: Build up opportunities for Effingham

Savannah Technical College will be a key asset for Hyundai as they begin to grow their workforce. Hitchens visited the school last week and said one of their biggest needs from Hyundai is precision manufacturing courses.

“Right now, they only have one,” said Hitchens. “I want to see locals get the jobs, not people moving from all over the place. We have people that are unemployed for whatever reason or are high school graduates. You can make a good living even if you don’t spend four years in college. Hyundai is going to be a tremendous asset to this area.”

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But not everyone will work at the Hyundai plant. With that in mind, Brandt Herndon, CEO of the Effingham County Development Authority, said his vision for workhouse development is to provide residents with more employment opportunities in the county.

“Effingham County is blessed with a healthy mix of trained and skilled workers thanks to our top-notch education system and attractive quality of life,” said Herndon. “It is our goal to work with our economic development partners, community leaders and existing industries to ensure there are more comparable opportunities.”

The Savannah Joint Development Authority is assessing basic labor needs of current businesses and examining potential labor demands in the future.

“From there, we hope to work with our state leadership to make informed decisions about policy and how to effectively address the changes we are going to see in our region and state in the short- and long-term,” said Herndon.

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Burns added creating sustainable growth preserves the county’s environment as one of the best places to live and work in Georgia.

“We are committed to improving the state’s infrastructure. We want the economic development to work hand-in-hand with infrastructure.”

Education: Find more funding to support programs

Georgia’s education system has been a hot topic as students continuously fall well below a third grade reading level by the time they reach middle school. State legislatures want to improve Pre-K education so pupils are confident when taking on third grade reading material.

“You will see that educational funding will be stepped up in all areas as we work towards solving some of the issues,” said Burns. “Education starts early and we certainly are working very hard to make sure students have all the resources they need.”

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Effingham County Superintendent Yancy Ford is pleased with support received for various programs such as Bright from the Start and will continue to work alongside state reps to secure funding for public school safety, infrastructure and educator retention.”

“We have an excellent Pre-K Program in Effingham and as a whole in Georgia,” said Ford. “Pre-K is our first opportunity to provide a first impression of school for our students. We are always excited about that opportunity to work with parents and students.”

Latrice Williams is a general assignment reporter covering Bryan and Effingham County. She can be reached at lwilliams6@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Here are four things to watch in 2023 in Effingham County, Ga