Monroe County leaders turned down a chance to feature the county in a documentary with actor Dennis Quaid, choosing to keep nearly $10,000 in tax dollars instead.
What’s Happening: County commissioners voted unanimously against paying $9,766 to join a TV program called “Viewpoint with Dennis Quaid” that wanted to film a segment about Monroe County’s business growth. The show would have cost $29,300 total, split between the county, City of Forsyth, and Monroe County Development Authority.
What’s Important: Leaders said the county already gets plenty of free news coverage and doesn’t need to pay for publicity. The decision means the entire project is dead since all three groups needed to participate.
Between the Lines: The Development Authority had already agreed to pay its share before commissioners stepped in. County leaders said they’d rather spend the money on keeping firefighters and fixing roads than on what one official called “an infomercial.”
Catch Up Quick: The South Florida-based show reached out to county officials last month wanting to show how Monroe County attracted major businesses despite being rural. The package would have included a six-minute documentary on public television nationwide and promotional clips on Fox Business, CNBC and Discovery Channel.
The Sources: Monroe County Board of Commissioners meeting.
B.T. Clark
B.T. Clark is an award-winning journalist and the Publisher of The Georgia Sun. He has 25 years of experience in journalism and served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta for 15 years and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc. for 8 years. His work has appeared in several newspapers throughout the state including Neighbor Newspapers, The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal. He is a Georgia native and a fifth-generation Georgian.
