Leaders from Newton County's governments, school system and the water authority met Saturday at Burge Plantation to update each other on their latest efforts and future plans. The grouping of officials is known as the Leadership Collaborative and work on joint planning.

Officials from The Center for Community Preservation and Planning and students from the University of Georgia also joined leaders to discuss the 2050 Build-Out Plan and how to spread word about the plan to the public.

The 2050 Plan seeks to direct future growth into dense communities in western Newton County to save money on future infrastructure (schools, roads and water lines) and to protect the rural nature and agricultural heritage of other portions of the county. The plan predicts Newton County will have a population of 400,000 by 2050.