Elliott Brack’s Perspective
BRACK: Time of the year for local governments to OK budgets
By Elliott Brack | It is somewhat surprising to find that the City of Lawrenceville is raising taxes. This once-staid conservative government is going to raise ad valorem taxes this year by 0.4 mills. Not only that, the city is also going to start charging its first garbage fee, which will be $10 per month for 2022, and in 2023, will be $20 a month. Previously, there was no fee for garbage service.
BRACK: New York’s use of ranked choice voting is major system test
By Elliott Brack | There were major political results in New York City this week, as citizens there held a primary to determine who will be the Democratic candidate for mayor. Weak Republican influence in New York points to the eventual Democratic winner as the next mayor. The mayor will officially be decided in their General Election in November.
Gwinnett Forum | Nov. 26, 2024
“Bureaucrats write memoranda both because they appear to be busy when they are writing and because the memos, once written, immediately become proof that they were busy.”
— Editor-in-chief of the Washington Monthly Charles Peters (1926-2023).
Continuing objectives
Gwinnett Forum publisher Elliott Brack suggests that Gwinnett County needs a long-range list of continuing objectives for improving the county. His list:
- Move statewide non-partisan judge and school board elections to the General Election.
- Adoption of the 2023 Transit Plan for Gwinnett.
- More creative efforts to support the arts in Gwinnett.
- Advancement and expansion of city historical societies.
- Require establishments that serve alcoholic beverages to halt sales of such products at 1 a.m., and close by 2 a.m.
- Require the Georgia Legislature to meet only once every two years.
- 21st century salary for the Gwinnett County Commission members.
- Remove chewing gum on sidewalks at entrances of post offices and other governmental buildings.
- Eliminate single-use plastic packaging and straws in Gwinnett and require instead the use of paper products.
- Condos instead of apartments for Gwinnett.
Interested in Gwinnett history?
Now re-printed in its third edition, Gwinnett: A Little Above Atlanta, the award-winning history of Gwinnett County, is once again available for purchase. It sold out of its first two printings. The book won the 2010 Award of Excellence in Documenting Georgia History from the Georgia Historical Records Advisory Board. The book is available at Old Town Antiques at 93 Main Street in Lilburn.
- The history of Gwinnett is also available as an e-book from Amazon or Barnes and Noble for $9.95.
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