Secretary Kemp Speaks to Athens Rotarians About the Archives Closing

Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp told an Athens civic club on Monday that he will work with the Georgia Legislature to restore funding and open the Georgia State Archives to the public.

And just because Kemp plans to close the archives to the public, granting access only by appointment, the expenses of maintaing the building and its contents in Morrow are considerable, according to a story in the Athens Banner Herald.

The story says that some of the 10 employees who work in the archives will see their jobs evaporate, which will help save the Secretary of State's office some $733,000.

The items in the collection will remain in the 171,000-square-foot facility in Morrow, which the state leases for about $2.7 million a year. The Clayton County Development Authority issued $41 million in bonds in 2001 to pay for the building. The story says that Kemp believes his office could terminate the lease, but he doesn’t know where the documents could be stored.