History

Incorporation

The City of Helena was chartered on December 27, 1890. The City of McRae was chartered on March 3, 1874. The two cities existed side-by-side for more than a century. At the end of 2013, the two cities began to discuss the possibility of a merger. The respective City Councils adopted a joint resolution to pursue a merger in November 2013. On April 10, 2014, Governor Nathan Deal signed HB 967 which incorporated the City of McRae-Helena.

Consolidation

On January 1, 2015, the two cities officially consolidated to become the City of McRae-Helena. This created the first merged city in Georgia since 1921.

Four for the Future

Since the merger, the City of McRae-Helena has been designated as a “Four for the Future” City by the University of Georgia Public Service Outreach and Georgia Trend Magazine.

Community

The City of McRae-Helena features many historical, cultural, and natural resources. Read more about those resources and economic development opportunities here.

Accolades

• 2015 
  • Four for the Future - Georgia Trend Magazine and UGA Public Service Outreach
• 2016
  • Certified City of Ethics - Georgia Municipal Association 
  • 10th Safest City in Georgia - SafeWise Report
• 2018
  • Georgia Initiative for Community Housing Community
  • Service Line Warranty Program Participant
  • Engineering Excellence Honor Award for Sanitary Sewer Interconnector - ACECGeorgia