City Council today moved to request the Georgia Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) designate eligible areas around Hunter Army Airfield as Military Zones to boost economic development and new employment opportunities.

Under the State of Georgia’s Military Zone Job Tax Credit Program, designation of a Military Zone provides the following tax benefits to businesses that create two or more jobs within economically-distressed areas near military bases:

1. $3,500 tax credit per year, per new job (minimum of two) created, for up to 5 years.
2. Credits can be claimed against 100% of the business’s Georgia Income Tax liability, with excess credit claimed against payroll withholding taxes.

The proposed areas include the West Montgomery Crossroad/Middleground Road/Tibet Ave area, Hunter Army Airfield, and the Savannah Mall/Rio Road/Apache Avenue/Middleground Road area. Local governments must request formal designation from the DCA to have an area designated as a Military Zone.