New Albany gets long awaited Certified Local Government designation

Certified Local Government

[October 2019} The City of New Albany received confirmation early October that their city will now hold the designation as a Certified Local Government (CLG). CLG is a joint local-state-federal government program that began in the early 1980’s.  This designation represents a mutual consent between the state history preservation officer, through the Mississippi Department of Archives and History and the City of New Albany to accomplish the goals and objectives of the CLG Program with the State of Mississippi and the Department of Interior, National Park Service.

A CLG community receives special technical assistance and training form the state to heighten local preservation awareness.  Billye Jean Stroud, Director of Community Development and Main Street, says “This designation allows New Albany to apply for grants and other funds to assist in the restoration of historic buildings in our community.  We currently have two in our historic downtown that need restoring badly, the New Albany Police Department and old jail, which houses the District Attorney’s office.”

“With the historic preservation commission, we are able to identify and register historic properties, neighborhoods, and places so that they can be protected from possible destruction.

It’s our history that defines us as a community and we must use all avenues we can to protect it.” Stroud said.

“We welcome the City of New Albany, Mississippi as a local partner in the Federal Preservation Program and look forward to working with them to preserve what makes their community special and significant”, Megan J. Brown said from the US Department of the Interior, National Parks Service. “They have been added to our database and can find their listing there as well as more information on the CLG program by going to:www.nps.gov/clg.”

For more information on New Albany’s Certified Local Government designation, contact Billye Jean Stroud at 662-534-3438.

–New Albany Main Street