August 11, 2023 * Issue 340 | |
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Mayor Lester Miller will recommend to the Commission that it adopt a millage rate of 10.723, which is a reduction of 7.178 mills and greater than the originally announced 5 mill reduction. The Commission will vote at a meeting on August 15, 2023, beginning at 6:00 p.m. in City Hall (700 Poplar Street). This will be the third consecutive year the Mayor and Commission have reduced property taxes.
“We promised to find a way for government to operate more efficiently and provide services in the areas that people said were the most important,” said Mayor Miller. “And while we’re reducing your property taxes, we are increasing funds for the areas and projects people said were most important to them.”
The rollback is possible thanks to the voters overwhelmingly supporting the Other Local Option Sales Tax (OLOST) and the increase in value of people’s property. The OLOST allowed for 5 mills, and the property value increase allowed for the additional 2.178 mills.
“People overwhelmingly supported the OLOST to help make sure the tens of thousands of people that drive into and through our city help pay for the services they use, and to provide property tax relief to people who live here. This is us fulfilling the promise of that support,” says Mayor Miller. “And now, with the increased value of our homes, we are rolling back the millage rate even more.”
Despite the reductions in the millage rate, Macon-Bibb has been able to increase funding for the projects and areas the community said were the most important.
“This community came out by the thousands to let us know what they expected of their government, of what they said was most important to them and their families,” added Mayor Miller. “Our team remains committed to making sure we are using these funds to tackle the issues – big or small – that our neighborhoods face.”
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Storm Scoop: Weather Radio Education | |
Are you weather ready? Do you have your weather radio, and is it set up? If you don't know how to set it up, we're here to help!
These battery-operated radios are the perfect tool to stay in the know about severe weather. It can be life saving. Watch as Emergency Management Agency Operations Officer Casey Walker, Jr. walks you through how to program your weather radio.
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First Choice Primary Care has signed up as a Platinum Sponsor of the inaugural Macon Music Half Marathon, which is happening on November 4, 2023. The Macon Tracks Running Club, Macon-Bibb County, Visit Macon, and Atrium Health Navicent have teamed up to bring this new event that will have a positive impact on the community’s health and wellness, as well as the local economy. Other sponsors include Mercer University, Simplenexus, and James Bates Brannan Groover.
“It’s going to be a great day in Macon-Bibb as runners line up for our first half marathon in 20 years, and families and friends line the course to cheer them on,” says Mayor Lester Miller. “When I became Mayor, I promised to improve recreation, tourism, and economic development, and thanks to the Macon Tracks and partners, we’ll be doing all three that weekend!”
“We want to do anything we can to encourage our patients... our employees…everybody…to eat healthier and move more,” says Katherine McLeod, First Choice CEO. “So we support things that help people improve their health, from this race to BikeWalk Macon to the Poplar Street Farmers Market.”
The race will start and end in Carolyn Crayton Park (formerly Central City Park). The course will take runners by many of the locations linked to the community’s musical heritage, including the Big House, Capricorn Studios, Mercer’s McDuffie Center for Strings, Vineville Academy, and more.
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Picnic in the Park brings variety
of food trucks to Carolyn Crayton Park
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Mark your calendars for a delicious event! Our Recreation Department is having another Food Truck Festival on Saturday, August 12. It’s happening from 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., rain or shine, in Carolyn Crayton Park (150 Willie Smokie Glover Drive).
There are 15 food trucks and vendors with a variety of different foods, a wine truck from Jail Creek Farms Winery, and frozen treats from Macon Water Ice. People can enjoy live music, and a kids’ zone with bounce houses and an inflatable obstacle course.
“This is a great way to support local businesses while enjoying our park and giving families a fun event where they can spend time together,” said Recreation Director Robert Walker. “These picnics have been a great success and we’re excited to have another opportunity for more people to come out.”
This is a free event, and you’re invited to bring lawn chairs and blankets to sprawl out and enjoy the day.
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Vendors Participating
A&K Concessions
Big K’s Grilling LLC.
Cookies By Tiffany
Cuban Island Cafe
Fon's Food and Catering
Guitarras Mexican Grill
Jail Creek Farms Winery
Macon Water Ice
Patty Shack
Peewee Bakery Sweets
Queens Pretzel Palace
Soul 2 Soul
Streetz Eatz
The Basket Case
Tina Moe's Kitchen
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The Gardens at Brookdale had a lot of extra hands Thursday as more than 70 first-year Mercer School of Law students came out to help pick food, spread dirt, and more. The Center (3600 Brookdale Avenue) serves as a transitional housing and resource center for people experiencing homelessness.
Sarah Fisher, Gardens Manager, expresses her gratitude towards the students and is proud of young people giving back to their communities. “It means a lot. I’m impressed with the number of young people who came out…having this many hands on deck gets so much work done real quick,” she says.
The Gardens is preparing for “Fall Point” as they prepare for this upcoming season where Ms. Fisher plans to tutor anyone who wishes to learn about gardening. The crops being planted for the Fall include cabbage, broccoli, carrots, beets, and turnips.
Mercer Dean of Students, Jeannie Zipperer, who also helped prepare for Fallpoint, expressed, “I wanted to orient them [students] into our values of community and service. This is what we want to instill into our future Mercer Lawyers…this is such a great project”.
Mercer plans to do more community service learning projects throughout the year, and Brookdale will continue to be a focus.
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Mayor Lester Miller holds Council of Clergy Luncheon |  | |
The Mayor’s Council of Clergy Luncheon was held at the Sports Hall of Fame on Thursday, August 10. The meeting happens every other month to discuss issues within communities and goals to make life better.
This month the meeting had a multitude of special guests: Dr. Mary Butler of Liberty Evangelist Christian Church, Reverend Scott Dickson of First Baptist Church of Christ, Alex Habersham, Dr. John Dunaway, Mother Viola S. Walker, and Henry Thomas.
Mayor Lester Miller spoke about unity and the continuous progress happening in Macon-Bibb, emotionally, statistically, and spiritually. He talked about the more than 2,000 pounds of produce made straight from Brookdale Resource Center that will be used to feed the residents at the Center. His ultimate goal for the center is to produce a surplus and sell the surplus to fund the residents' future housing.
Mayor Miller also touched on how we can further Macon-Bibb's progression. “We can not police our way out of this…this is not going to happen overnight. It is going to take change in the hearts and minds of everyone in evolved and the culture,” he said.
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The Macon-Bibb County Fire Department is holding its annual Fire Prevention Essay Contest and is looking for participants. The essay contest is for 5th, 8th, and 12th grade public, private, and home-schooled students in Macon-Bibb County. The essay must reflect the 2023 Fire Prevention Week theme: “Cooking safety starts with YOU”!
This year, Fire Prevention Week is recognized from October 8 through October 14 and seeks to better educate the public on the importance of using safe cook practices. All winners will be recognized in October during the Annual Fire Prevention Week Opening Ceremony.
- 5th grade essays should consist of 125-250 words.
- 8th grade essays should consist of 200-700 words
- 12th grade should consist of 400-700 words.
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MWA makes it a clean sweep of statewide drinking water taste tests | |
From Macon Water Authority - During the Annual Conference & Expo of the Georgia Association of Water Professionals (GAWP) held recently in Savannah, the Macon Water Authority (MWA) made it a clean sweep of the three statewide tap water taste test events, winning the People’s Choice Award for Best Tasting Drinking Water in Georgia during this final competition.
Earlier this year, the MWA won the Best Tasting Drinking Water for the state’s District 5, followed by the statewide competition for Best Tasting Drinking Water in Georgia – a battle among all eight District winners – held during the GAWP Spring Conference in Columbus.
While those two previous awards were the results of judging by industry taste test panels, the People’s Choice Award is a product of the approximately 2,000 annual conference attendees having an opportunity to sample each District winner to determine the People’s Choice for Best Tasting Drinking Water in Georgia.
This is the first year the MWA has swept all three GAWP taste test competitions. The Authority has built a reputation for great tasting tap water ever since winning the Award for Best Tasting Drinking Water in North America, as judged by the American Water Works Association (AWWA) in 2009.
To qualify for these competitions, the Authority could not have any permit violations at its Frank C. Amerson, Jr. Water Treatment Plant for the past year – an achievement the MWA has reached for a decade.
Another highlight of the recent GAWP Annual Conference was Darryl Macy, MWA Director of Sewer Conveyance & Water Distribution, receiving the Nathan Meredith DeJarnette Award.
The purpose of the DeJarnette Award is to further encourage and promote operational advancements and achievements in the water and water pollution control fields. The Award recognizes a GAWP Member who has demonstrated outstanding accomplishments in operating a water or water pollution control facility, or who has provided outstanding service instructing and training other operators, or contributed to the advancement of the operation field, and/or developed operational devices, techniques, or programs.
N.M. DeJarnette was a founding Member of the Georgia Association of Water Professionals, who worked to organize the first Georgia Water Works Operators Short School, after seeing the importance of professional training for Georgia’s water professionals.
Among his many responsibilities at the MWA, Macy has been directing the utility’s capital project to replace all older customer meters with Automated Meter Reading (AMR) Technology. This improvement to MWA operations will allow technicians in the field to read customer water meters remotely, without having to manually check each meter on a customer’s property. This MWA meter replacement capital project is expected to be completed by next summer.
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Downtown Macon's Business Improvement District (BID) reinstated and expanded | |
From NewTown Macon- Downtown Macon’s Business Improvement District (BID) is celebrating a significant milestone. Downtown property owners elected to reinstate and expand the district for another five years. This renewal marks a momentous occasion for downtown Macon and the entire community, as the BID has played a crucial role in revitalizing downtown and driving remarkable economic growth.
Since its inception in 2017, the BID has become an essential force behind downtown Macon's resurgence. The BID has provided enhanced services, including cleaning and maintenance, beautification projects, capital improvements like alley lighting, and increased security measures, ensuring that the district remains an inviting and attractive destination for visitors, residents, and businesses alike.
Due to the efforts of the BID to create a cleaner and safer downtown Macon, in just five years, the total value of the district has surged from $180 million to an impressive $330 million, representing an astounding 83% increase. This unprecedented growth reflects the BID's unwavering commitment to fostering a vibrant and thriving downtown community.
"The reinstatement and expansion of the Business Improvement District is a testament to the dedication and foresight of downtown property owners," said Tom Wight, Chair of the BID Board. "The positive impact of the BID on downtown Macon has been truly transformative, and we are excited to build on this momentum for the next five years."
The BID's expansion will enable even more comprehensive efforts to enhance the district's vibrancy and strengthen its position as a premier destination in the region. From supporting local businesses to creating welcoming public spaces, the BID will continue to be a driving force behind downtown Macon's growth and prosperity.
"We are thrilled to see the BID continue its mission of promoting a dynamic downtown," said Erin Keller, Chief of Staff and Vice President for Development of NewTown Macon, the organization that administers the BID. "This renewal marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter for downtown Macon, and we are committed to working hand in hand with the BID board of directors and BID Ambassadors to ensure its continued success."
Downtown Macon property owners elect to pay an additional tax of 5 mills that is re-invested into district. NewTown Macon oversees management of the district, the BID staff, and the elected BID board of directors. The district has been expanded from 500 parcels to 804 parcels, an increase of 60%. A new slate of board members will be elected by downtown property owners to manage the efforts and funds of the BID.
The BID will host the election of new board members and an annual meeting on Tuesday, August 8 from 6:30pm to 8:00pm at the Capitol Theatre (382 Second Street). The public and the press are invited to attend and celebrate the renewal and expansion of the BID.
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The Hub is Macon-Bibb County's source of information for employees, residents, businesses, and partners. With this regular e-blast, the Office of Communications provides a consistent flow of information about the efforts and successes of the consolidated government and partners to strengthen Macon-Bibb as the Hub City of Middle Georgia.
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and to give them the chance to provide feedback, ask questions,
and request services.
The Office has earned multiple
recognitions for its efforts.
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Macon-Bibb County
Macon-Bibb County is the fourth largest city in Georgia. Created on January 1, 2014 after being approved by the voters, it is Georgia's newest consolidated government and serves about 155,000 residents and thousands more visitors.
Its governing body consists of 10 Commissioners, with the Mayor serving as its Chair and the Chief Executive Office of the administration.
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