The Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday approved a $2.07 billion budget for 2022, up 8.1 percent from last year. The newly approved budget does not require a millage rate increase.
The adopted spending plan consists of a $1.6 billion operating budget and a $455 million capital improvements budget, which includes funds from the County’s voter-approved SPLOST program.
Chairwoman Nicole Hendrickson said the budget continues the county’s long tradition of conservative spending while addressing the many needs of one of Georgia’s fastest growing counties.
Two-thirds of the operating budget is dedicated to the areas of public safety and public works. The capital budget will pay for new facilities, roads and parks as well as maintenance for existing assets and infrastructure.
Budget highlights include:
- Funding to support the 2022 mid-term elections in addition to $4.4 million in expanded election services – eight new positions in the Elections Division, an increase to poll official pay, four new advance voting satellite locations, the cost of postage for mailing in absentee ballots, and voter outreach mailings;
- $2 million for a multi-year expansion of the Gwinnett County Transit system that will bring new routes to a wider area of the county, including micro transit. After three years, this expansion will increase local bus services by 58 percent, commuter bus services by 20 percent, and paratransit services by 40 percent;
- $2.4 million for 30 additional sworn police officer positions;
- $6.3 million for the Eastern Regional Infrastructure Project in the eastern part of the county, which will include five miles of new public greenway trails, two trailheads, upgraded and expanded water service, and expanded sewer service.
County sends redistricting proposal to Gwinnett delegation
After hosting a series of open houses on redistricting, Gwinnett commissioners met on Tuesday. This proposed redistricting now goes to the Gwinnett legislative delegation to submit to the General Assembly.
Commission map
The Gwinnett legislative delegation will discuss the proposed map during the upcoming session. The General Assembly will ultimately make a final decision on how the County’s district lines are redrawn. The new district lines will be in place by the next election cycle.
Gwinnett County Chairwoman Nicole Hendrickson says: “The Board of Commissioners took deliberate steps to obtain public input by hosting open house events in each commission district. It was important to get feedback from our constituents to better understand what they value as redistricting priorities.”
Residents’ asks were simple: Keep geographic areas together while compacting districts and create districts that represent an accurate makeup of the County’s diverse population.
Extension Service annual plant sale now underway
Gardeners, get those green thumbs ready! UGA Extension Gwinnett has its annual Plant Sale Fundraiser. The plant sale, which runs through March 4, supports the 4-H youth development program and Master Gardener projects. The sale offers a variety of fruit and ornamental plants that thrive in Georgia soil.
Mary Black, division director of UGA Extension Gwinnett, says: “Each year, we offer a fantastic variety of locally grown fruiting plants; flowering plants that add a splash of color or fragrance to your yard; plants perfect for pollinators; and Georgia natives. Availability changes every year, so be ready to shop.”
This year’s sale features 22 fruit plants, from Fuji apple and Baldwin blueberry to Dwarf pomegranate and Magnolia muscadine, as well as 17 ornamentals, including the native azalea Tallulah Sunrise, Japanese Holly fern, Frostproof gardenia and Snow Queen hydrangea.
Pre-ordered plants can be picked up March 17 from 9 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. at the Gwinnett County Fairgrounds, 2405 Sugarloaf Parkway in Lawrenceville. Additional plants that are not available as pre-orders as well as selections of popular, hard-to-find native plants will be available for purchase onsite that day.
- For information about placing orders for the plant sale fundraiser, visit www.GwinnettExtension.com.
Republic Services temporarily suspends recycling services
Republic Services’ trash and recycling customers in unincorporated Gwinnett County can expect uninterrupted, on-schedule trash collection. However, because of the significant impact that a spike in COVID-19 infections is having on Republic’s workforce, recycling services will be suspended until their workforce begins to normalize. Bulky items and yard waste pickup are also suspended temporarily. On-schedule trash collection remains a top priority.
During this temporary service interruption, Republic Services customers in Gwinnett County may take their recycling, bulky items or household trash to a drop-off site at one of the following locations:
- Recyclable Materials Only – 75 Curtis Road, Lawrenceville, Ga. (6 a.m. – 6 p.m.);
- Household Trash/Bulky Items – 51 Patrick Mill Road SW, Winder, Ga. (Monday – Friday, 6 a.m. – 4 p.m.; Saturday 6 a.m. – noon);
- Household Trash/Bulky Items – Richland Creek Landfill, 5691 S. Richland Creek Road, Buford, Ga. (Monday-Friday, 6 a.m. – 4 p.m.; Saturday 6 a.m. – noon); and
- Household Trash/Bulky Items – Oak Grove Landfill, 937 Carl Bethlehem Road,
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
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