Butler Snow attorney Blake Sharpton recently taught a virtual session at a development authority member training session led by the Carl Vinson Institute of Government of the University of Georgia. On June 25, 2024, Sharpton led multiple Financing Economic Development sessions in which participants learned the basics of financing economic development, including financing the operations of a development authority, property tax incentives, deal closing steps, and the role of revenue bonds.
The Carl Vinson Institute of Government works extensively with governments across Georgia and beyond to develop the knowledge and skills elected officials, professional staff and appointed board members need to manage effectively in the 21st century. The institute is committed to promoting excellence in government at all levels through technical assistance, training programs, applied research and technology solutions.
Blake Sharpton is the Assistant Practice Group Leader for Butler Snow’s Public Finance, Tax Incentives and Credit Markets Group. He focuses his practice on public finance, commercial lending and debt financing, and economic developer projects. He represents school districts, cities, counties, development authorities, educational institutions, and underwriters across Georgia and other states. Blake has extensive experience serving as bond counsel, disclosure counsel, bank counsel, borrower’s counsel, and underwriter’s counsel on a wide variety of tax-exempt and taxable bond transactions. Blake focuses primarily on traditional municipal finance projects such as new educational and general municipal facilities. Blake also routinely works on economic impact projects and transactions such as sports stadiums, entertainment venues, multi-use developments, multi-family housing developments, retail developments, hotels, and airports.
