Report: Long County grew 3 times more than the entire coastal Georgia region

NEW TONIGHT -- DATA SHOWS .. LONG COUNTY IS BOOMING ... BUT THE QUESTION IS WHY. AS WJCL 22 NEWS' TIA MAGGIO REPORTS .. LONG COUNTY GREW 3 TIMES MORE LAST YEAR .. COMPARED TO THE ENTIRE REGION OF COASTAL GEORGIA. THIS IS THE ONLY GROCERY STORE SERVING THIS AREA. BUT THAT MIGHT CHANGE. LONG IS SEEING MORE THAN 6 PERCENT INCREASE IN POPULATION. PACK: <> 0;52 "WE'VE EXPERIENCED CONSISTENT GROWTH OVER THE PAST DURING MY WHOLE TERM AS CHAIRMAN, MY EIGHT YEARS." 1;00 LONG COUNTY IS GROWING - AND THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONS CHAIRMAN SAYS THE MILITARY PLAYS A BIG ROLE. <> 1;04 "A LOT OF IT CONTRIBUTED TO THE MILITARY BASE." 1;07 THAT MILITARY BASE PARKER'SIS TALKING ABOUT IS FORT STEWART. <> 0;42 "SOLDIERS ARE REQUESTING THAT BE STATIONED IN FORT STEWART. THEY THEY WANT TO EXPERIENCE THE LIFE HERE IN THE COASTAL GEORGIA AREA." 0;51 I SPOKE WITH SGT. MAJOR ELLY CAPINDO WITH FORT STEWART. HE SAYS SOLDIERS LIVING OFF THE BASE HELP WITH THE GROWTH. <> 4;11 "OVER 70% OF OUR SOLDIERS AND FAMILIES LIVE OFF POST. SO THAT'S WHAT KIND OF CONTRIBUTE TO THAT. SO LONG COUNTY IS ONE OF THOSE THAT THEY'LL CHOOSE TO LIVE BASED OFF OF PROXIMITY." 4;25 HE SAYS ALMOST HALF OF SOLDIERS LEAVING THE ARMY CHOOSE TO STAY IN COASTAL GEORGIA. <> 1;28 "THE WEATHER'S GREAT. THERE'S THE OPTIONS TO TO HIT THE BEACHES. AND THEN WHEN YOU LOOK AT LONG COUNTY OFF, THERE'S SOMETHING ELSE AS WELL. SOMETHING RURAL FOR OUR SOLDIERS." 1;39 PARKER SAYS BESIDES FORT STEWART - PEOPLE COME FOR THE PERKS OF ASMALL TOWN COMMUNITY. <> 5;06 "WE HAVE A LOW TAX RATE HERE. OUR MILLAGE RATE IS LOWER THAN A LOT OF THE SURROUNDING COUNTIES. AND, AND, AND LIKE I SAY, WE'RE A MORE OR CLOSER NEAR THAT SMALLER COMMUNITY." 5;17 <> PARKER ALSO SAYS MOVING FORWARD - THE COUNTY IS WORKING TO PROVIDE MORE SERVICES TO PEOPLE LIVING HERE TO KEEP UP WITH THE GROWTH. REPORTING IN LONG COUNTY - TIA MAGGIO - WJCL 22 NEWS. TIA, THANK YOU. DO YOU HAVE QUESTIONS YOU'D LIKE US TO ANSWER .. ABOUT OUR GROWING COMMUNIT