The Gwinnett Chamber has adopted a resolution to support the renewal of the county’s Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST). The 2023 SPLOST Referendum Resolution, presented by the organization’s Public Policy Committee, was unanimously adopted by the Board during its meeting this afternoon. The question will be voted on in the November election.
Jill Edwards, 2022 chair of the Gwinnett Chamber Board of Directors, says: “SPLOST dollars have historically funded our nationally recognized parks system, award-winning public safety facilities, state-of-the-art libraries, and ongoing maintenance of our roads, bridges, and sidewalks throughout the community. The business community fully supports the six-year extension of SPLOST this November and recognizes its role in cultivating a vibrantly connected future for Gwinnett.”
The Gwinnett Chamber Public Policy Committee, vice-chaired by Trey Ragsdale of Kaiser Permanente, delivered the resolution for consideration. Ragsdale noted that SPLOST had already generated over $4 billion to support community growth and its renewal would provide nearly one-and-a-half billion more for Gwinnett’s future. “Gwinnett already maintains the lowest sales tax rate in the state of Georgia making it an attractive location for business and talent,” shared Ragsdale. “Voting to continue this funding requires no tax increase, supports Gwinnett’s continued growth, and directly aligns with the Chamber’s public policy agenda to ensure Georgia’s best-in-class business climate.”
The SPLOST referendum to extend the one-cent sales tax on retail sales in Gwinnett through March 2029 will be on the ballot for consideration this November. For more information on the Gwinnett Chamber’s public policy efforts, visit www.gwinnettchamber.org/publicpolicy.
68th annual Gwinnett County Fair opens Thursday
Learn about life on the farm inside the Big Red Barn at the annual 4-H Farm Friends exhibit at the 68th annual Gwinnett County Fair. The 10-day event will run Sept. 15-25 in Lawrenceville.
Gwinnett County Fairgrounds is located at 2405 Sugarloaf Parkway.
Farm Friends features tons of hands-on fun, from petting rabbits, goats and sheep to “milking” Daisy, the wooden sawhorse cow. Visitors can play barnyard trivia, celebrate the birthday of Ellie May the donkey and see ducklings and fluffy baby chicks. This year, the exhibit is celebrating its 32nd year of promoting agriculture to children and parents through the Gwinnett County 4-H Club.
In conjunction with the exhibit, 30-minute group tours are available from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on weekdays. To schedule a tour, please email Barbara.Larson@GwinnettCounty.com. Discovery Day for toddlers, homeschool families and groups is from 11 a.m. to noon on Sept. 23. This reserved time slot allows young visitors to enjoy the Farm Friends experience without larger school crowds present. The cost for each is $2 per child.
Libertarians seek relief about party discrimination
The Libertarian Party of Georgia on September 9 joined Libertarian lieutenant governor candidate, Ryan Graham, in a lawsuit against Attorney General Christopher Carr and the Georgia Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Commission. The suit challenges the formation of “leadership committees” that allow candidates to accept contributions in excess of the $7,600 limit imposed on statewide candidates, violating the constitutional rights of third-party candidates.
As the Democratic and Republican parties are the only organizations officially designated as “political parties” in Georgia, only those running for office under those parties are eligible for this type of fundraising. This lawsuit seeks to level the playing field for Libertarian and other third party and independent candidates.
- The case can be viewed here.
3 counties join to strengthen bonds in public health
Three county commission chairpersons recently got together with one goal – to sustain and strengthen bonds in public health, mental health and communications.
Gwinnett County Chairwoman Nicole Hendrickson planted the seeds for the idea of what’s now named the Tri-County Collaboration Meeting. The inaugural event, hosted by Rockdale County Chairman Oz Nesbitt, also included Newton County Chairman Marcello Banes, Gwinnett-Newton-Rockdale Public Health Director Audrey Arona, and View Point Health Director Jennifer Hibbard.
Hendrickson says: “This collaborative – which unites us through a shared public health and mental health district – allows us to talk about strategies, successes, and common barriers, so we can forge solutions together. I am committed to strengthening this partnership with my neighboring counties because it will ultimately enhance the services for residents in this district.”
View Point Health led with its co-responder model in both Gwinnett and Newton Counties. When a call comes in about a person experiencing a mental health crisis, a mental licensed clinician and police officer will both respond to the scene. This model has been adopted by several cities within the county. As a result, 98 percent of patients have been diverted from jail to get the care they need.
Buford broker is “Realtor of year” for state Realtors assn.
Brooks
Nakia Brooks has been named “Realtor of the year” by the Georgia Association of Realtors at its conference in Nashville, Tenn. recently He is the president-Elect for Northeast Association of Metro Atlanta Realtors and the broker at Brokerage Atlanta of Buford. He has previously worked in law enforcement and as an educator, and was an instructor and taught peace officers both in-service, first responder, and several other courses. He came into real estate, chose to concentrate on listings, and became known for short sales, closing over 700 short sales.
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
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