Whether it’s replacing signs or updating documents, changing Fort Moore back to Fort Benning involves extensive planning and funding.
The original renaming of Fort Benning to Fort Moore cost $4.9 million, according to the Naming Commission’s August 2022 report. The Ledger-Enquirer spoke to an economist and officials to understand the costs this name change will bring to Columbus taxpayers. Here’s what we learned:
When asked about the estimated costs of the name change, U.S. Army Col. Jerel Evans, Fort Benning garrison commander, did not provide an answer. He offered the following statement in an email:
“The Fort Benning Garrison team is rapidly working through the renaming process of updating our systems, facilities, and infrastructure in a deliberate and phased manner. As we update assets across Fort Benning in honor of Distinguished Service Cross recipient Cpl. Fred G. Benning, we will also continue to honor the legacy of Lt. Gen. Hal Moore’s storied military service and Julia Moore’s family and casualty notification advocacy in a manner that celebrates their significant contributions to the local community and the Army.
“None of these changes happen without the support of our mission, and community partners at the local, city, and state level. We are forever grateful for their contributions and support of the installation, our Service Members, and their Families.
“While the Army has constantly adapted and changed during nearly 250 years, it has remained mission focused. Likewise, the Maneuver Center of Excellence and Fort Benning garrison remain focused on training Soldiers and leaders who are ready to deploy and fight tonight, and supporting the readiness and quality of life of their Families.”
Online discourse has been circulating about taxpayers’ role in footing the bill for the base’s name change on the local, state and federal levels. Clear estimates have not been announced yet.
The Columbus City Manager’s office deferred questions about local costs to the Muscogee County Tax Commissioner’s office.
Muscogee County Tax Commissioner David Britt told the Ledger-Enquirer that there will be no increase or impact on property taxes due to the name change.
But there is ambiguity about how much this name change will cost on the federal level.
Abigail Hall Blanco, an associate professor of economics at the University of Tampa, told the Ledger-Enquirer she doesn’t anticipate the total cost of the name change to be significantly more than the former name change beyond expected costs like lettering or printed materials.
“The main difference is going to be in rebranding,” Blanco said. “It’ll look like changing the previous letters on the outside of the base or the printed materials that are coming to and from orders that may need to be shipped to and from the base.”
Impacts on local businesses and other organizations, Blanco said, are difficult to measure in one total estimate. Each organization’s renaming cost epends on their branding— for example, whether they have Fort Benning in their name.
As for Georgia taxpayers, Blanco said she is uncertain whether residents will feel the financial burden of the renaming.
“I don’t necessarily know that this is something your average Georgia voter is going to notice at the end of the day,” Blanco said. “Unless they decide to change the name every year or two, this is really going to be a one-time cost. I don’t imagine any real fiscal impact on your average Georgian.”
Columbus Mayor Skip Henderson told the Ledger-Enquirer he doesn’t think the renaming financially will affect the city in a major way.
“We had not begun changing street names or signs (after the previous renaming), so there won’t be much financial impact.” Henderson said. “We will likely assist in removing the letters from the bridge leading into the base.”
Regardless, Blanco said the total estimated cost is relatively smaller when thinking about military expenses as a whole.
“It looks like an eye-popping number, because it is to your everyday citizen,” Blanco said. “But, in military terms, it’s actually quite small.”
In the president’s fiscal budget for this year, the U.S. Army’s budget proposal is $185.6 billion, and the Department of Defense’s budget proposal is $850 billion.
This story comes to GPB through a reporting partnership with the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer.
