Places such as the Baldwin County seat are a perfect place to retire, believes Rep. Rusty Kidd, I-Milledgeville, and he’s gotten a little closer to putting together a marketing plan to rival those in other states.

The Georgia Certified Retirement Community Program would track a city or county’s amenities, health care, tax rates, crime rates and more, and award its seal of approval to places that reach a certain score.

It’s to be funded by application fees to the program. Other states such as North Carolina and Mississippi also award certifications. It’s seen as mainly a marketing tool for state and city economic development boards.

The plan’s text originally came from Kidd’s office and was amended to a mainly unrelated Senate Bill 86 before it passed the House of Representatives. Kidd said Gov. Nathan Deal likes the idea. The House and Senate differences now must be ironed out in a conference committee.