By Elliott Brack, editor and publisher | Gwinnett County Commission Chairman Charlotte Nash was something of an evangelist when she gave her fifth annual “state of the county” address to the Gwinnett Chamber recently. In effect, she offered an “altar call” for the people of Gwinnett County to step up and join with her and the county commission to make sure the county reaches its potential.
Among her remarks:
“When I look into the future, I see a grown-up Gwinnett that has literally grown up in areas along our interstates and major thoroughfares where it makes sense…..
“I see choice in lifestyles, all the way from urban hip to mini-farms and everything in between.
“I see a range of transportation options to serve the million and a half people who will call Gwinnett home in 25 years and the businesses that will be here.
“I see Gwinnett Center as the heart of a booming entertainment and cultural arts district.
“I see thriving and interesting gateways to Gwinnett, at Jimmy Carter, on U.S. 78 at Stone Mountain, on I-985 and I-85 at the northern borders, on 316 to the east, on highways 29,141, and 20 and more—areas that say ‘You just entered Gwinnett, and you are lucky to be here.’
“ I see a re-invented Gwinnett Place area that is the center of Gwinnett’s downtown.
“And I see a cosmopolitan Gwinnett as a tourism magnet where global cultures can be experienced without a long flight or a passport.”
Nash
Then the chairman paused, and added: “But it is not enough to see the vision and to describe the future. We have to create it. The future I see is too exciting to delay.
“I am ready to start building it now. I believe my fellow commissioners are ready as well.
“However, we need your help. So, how about you?
“Can you see Gwinnett’s future?
“Do you want to be part of it?
“Are you ready to work hard to build it?
“Then let’s act like Gwinnettians and create our future together.”
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Whew! Miss Charlotte is using the bully pulpit. That’s great!
Gwinnett’s lucky in that for the most part, its citizens join with the chairman in not only wanting the best for the county, but its citizens understand that it takes a lot of different people working together to get progress and improvements accomplished. There seem to be fewer people with “anti” agendas within the county, making it much easier to see progress move forward.
Meanwhile, take a look at some of the accomplishments that the chairman mentioned:
- A community of 880,000 people.
- Some 3,500 miles of roads.
- Enough buried infrastructure in water, sewer and stormwater pipe to reach to New Zealand.
- A school system with ten percent of all K-12 students in Georgia, and winner of two Broad prizes.
- A triple-triple A credit rating.
- A dozen institutions of higher learning, including the fastest growing college in the University System of Georgia.
- The most advanced and sustainable water system in the world.
- A county that pays for capital projects with cash, saving $1 billion in finance costs, because of citizens voting for SPLOST funds.
- Excellent health care, high quality public safety professions, a thriving arts community, great diversity of people….and “variety, energy and innovation.”
Thanks, Madam Chairman, for your insights and your expectations for our county. With such thinking, Gwinnett is moving toward achieving an even better future.
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