Town hall meeting scheduled on Sam's Club closing
LITHONIA, Ga. - Leaders in Lithonia and Stonecrest came together to discuss the abrupt closure of the Sam’s Club location less than a week ago.
The Stonecrest location was among 63 stores which closed suddenly following its parent company, Walmart, announced it raising wages to $11 an hour and giving employees bonuses due to a tax return.
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State Rep. Vernon Jones (D-Lithonia) called together a town hall meeting on Tuesday night at the Stonecrest Library.
"This abrupt and unannounced closing of the Stonecrest Sam's Club has left many members of the community, local government and former employees with unanswered questions," Rep. Jones was quoted as saying in a release to FOX 5 News. "We will certainly see an impact on our local economy and our community as a result of the hundreds of jobs that were lost, as well as the lost sales tax revenue that Sam's Club generated. Our citizens deserve answers."
RELATED: Stonecrest offers to name city after Amazon
The good news is Stonecrest is one of the locations strongly being considered by Amazon for its second headquarters. The city even offered to rename itself as Amazon.
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While Gov. Nathan Deal has pledged the full weight of his office in making Georgia standout from the more than 200 other proposals and oddsmakers placing Atlanta at the top of the list, the decision by the company won’t come until later this year and in the meantime, the Sam’s Club closing has left many without jobs.
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