Gwinnett commissioners are considering keeping the general fund millage rate the same as last year, at 6.95 mills, and will hold three public hearings for residents to comment.
The public hearings will be held in the auditorium of the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center located at 75 Langley Drive in Lawrenceville on the following dates:
- Thursday, June 29 at 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m.
- Tuesday, July 18 at 11 a.m.
The online comment period closes July 17 at 9 p.m. Millage rates will be adopted during the Board of Commissioners regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday, July 18 at 2 p.m.
When the total digest of taxable property is prepared, Georgia law requires a rollback millage rate must be computed that will produce the same total revenue on the current year’s digest that last year’s millage rate would have produced had no reassessments occurred.
For 2023, Gwinnett County’s rollback millage rate is calculated at 6.558 mills. The 2023 millage rate that the Board of Commissioners is considering is 6.950, or 0.392 mills above the rollback millage rate. Therefore, state law requires commissioners to announce a property tax increase. Required notices for the millage rate adoption will be published in the Gwinnett Daily Post, the county’s legal organ, Wednesday, June 21.
Ex-legislator announces candidacy for commission chair
Former state Rep, Donna McLeod, who previously served in Georgia House District 105, has announced her candidacy for Gwinnett County chairperson. She says: “I have seen firsthand the challenges faced by residents in our county, and I believe that we need new leadership and fresh ideas to address these challenges effectively. The face of Gwinnett County leadership changed in 2020, but the status quo remained the same. As chair, I will prioritize building strong relationships with all our communities and advocating for policies that will improve the lives of all Gwinnett County residents.”
Peachtree Corners, Audi collaborate on advanced cellular
The City of Peachtree Corners and Audi of America Inc. have announced a collaboration to advance cellular vehicle-to-everything (C-V2X) practical deployment pathways as part of the city’s Curiosity Lab ecosystem.
Both Audi and Peachtree Corners see this as an opportune time to further deployment of C-V2X applications that allow vehicles to communicate with city-owned streets, traffic signals, crosswalk signals and other infrastructure, as well as with vulnerable road users. With Audi having recently received a waiver from the Federal Communications Commission to deploy this advanced technology, both intend to fine-tune strategies to expand connectivity on public roadways for increased roadway safety, increased traffic efficiency and more.
The automaker has worked on initial deployments with public authorities to address the safety of construction workers when vehicles approach a construction zone. In addition, Audi has collaborated with various companies to develop C-V2X technologies to connect cars with school buses to improve the safety of children and to alert drivers of active school zones.
Plein art event at St. Simons coming in August
Glynn County Visual Arts is inviting art painters in Georgia to a Plein Air event in August. Visit Saint Simons Island for three days of plein air painting with accomplished artist Kathy Rennell Forbes. The mediums will include watercolor, acrylic and oils. Imagine: three days of painting under the guidance of an acclaimed teacher, interrupted only by meals and walks on the beach!
The island offers opportunities for painting both historical sites and exceptional landscapes. The workshop is appropriate for watercolor, acrylic, and oil painters with some experience in their medium. Experience painting in early mornings and spectacular sunsets on the island.
Visit sites around the island for the sessions, including on Gascoigne Bluff, Village Creek Landing, Fort Frederica, St. Simons Lighthouse and Pier, Driftwood Beach on Jekyll Island, or locations of your choice. For more detail, go to www.glynnvisualartscenter.com.
Three consultants announce formation of new firm
Waller, Keaton and Yarbrough
Three longtime local Gwinnett political consultants have announced the merging of their three previously independent political consulting firms. They are Bianca Keaton, McKenzie Waller, and Matthew Yarbrough, who announced a joint venture to focus on Gwinnett’s 2023 municipal and 2024 local elections. It will be known as Gate City Ventures.
Services include brand management, fundraising support, compliance support, communications oversight and direct vote engagement activities. Additional clients are in active consultation with the firm for their impending 2023 and 2024 elections.
Among their clients are Gwinnett Chairwoman Nicole Love Hendrickson; Gwinnett Tax Commissioner Denise Mitchell; Gwinnett Clerk of Courts Tiana Garner; Gwinnett Sheriff Keybo Taylor; Gwinnett Superior Court Judge Tamela Adkins; Gwinnett State Court Judge Veronica Cope; Duluth Mayoral Candidate Greg Whitlock; and Gwinnett District Attorney Candidate Andrea Alabi.
McKenzie Waller is a 2020 graduate of Sewanee: University of the South who immediately became a full-time political consultant. Born and raised in Gwinnett County, Waller has worked on 15 campaigns in Gwinnett.
Bianca Keaton is a Spelman College graduate. Keaton has been for six years an aide to Democratic Congressmen Lucy McBath. Returning to Georgia in 2014, she served as chair of the Gwinnett County Democratic Party. She and her husband, Sherrod, reside in Norcross and are the parents of a 7-year-old daughter.
Matthew Yarbrough is a UGA graduate with a master’s degree in political science from the University of Colorado-Boulder. A metro Atlanta native, he is a graduate of Leadership Gwinnett. Yarbrough served as district director for U.S. Congresswoman Carolyn Bourdeaux. He and his husband, Jordan, reside in historic Marietta.
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