At the Greater Macon Chamber of Commerce’s 2017 State of the Community Luncheon, Macon-Bibb Mayor Robert Reichert spoke to the crowd of leaders, officials, and business professionals about how bright the future is for our community. In fact, he called it increasingly enlightened! Click here to watch the Mayor’s remarks. Below is a transcript of his speech.

STATE OF THE COMMUNITY

2017

THIS IS THE THIRD TIME I HAVE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS YOU ON THE STATE OF OUR CONSOLIDATED COMMUNITY.  I AGAIN WANT TO THANK THE GREATER MACON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE FOR ORGANIZING THIS EVENT AND PROVIDING THE FORUM IN WHICH I CAN SHARE THIS INFORMATION.  THANKS ALSO TO THE SPONSORS.  I HOPE MY REMARKS ARE AS GOOD AS THE VENUE AND THE COMPANY GATHERED HERE.

AS A CAVEAT TO MY REMARKS, I PLAN TO MENTION SEVERAL PEOPLE BY NAME, AND IF I DON’T CALL YOUR NAME, DON’T HOLD THAT AGAINST ME; JUST KNOW THAT I APRECIATE ALL OF THE EFFORTS TO MAKE US A GREAT COMMUNITY,

IN 2014, WE WERE JUST GETTING ORGANIZED AS A CONSOLIDATED GOVERNMENT, AND WE DID NOT MAKE A REPORT TO THE COMMUNITY.

IN 2015, WE DID HAVE A STATE OF THE COMMUNITY ADDRESS, AND I DESCRIBED THE STATE OF THE COMMUNITY AT THAT TIME AS “DYNAMIC”.   I USED PHYSICS AND A COUNTRY MUSIC ANALOGY TO DESCRIBE HOW CONSOLIDATION HAD HELPED US CONVERT “POTENTIAL” ENERGY INTO “KINETIC” ENERGY.  I EXPLAINED THAT WHILE ENERGY CAN NEITHER BE CREATED NOR DESTROYED,  IT CAN BE CONVERTED, AND IN OUR CASE, WE HAD CONVERTED THE ENERGY, PREVIOUSLY WASTED THROUGH TALK AND FRICTION, TO THE ENERGY SUFFICIENT TO OVERCOME INERTIA AND RESULT IN MOTION.  MOST FOLKS DIDN’T APPRECIATE THE PHYSICS ANALOGY, BUT THEY UNDERSTOOD IT WHEN I DESCIBED IT IN THE WORDS OF COUNTRY MUSIC SINGER, TOBY  KEITH:

“IT LOOKED LIKE A PLACE TO FIND SOME SATISFACTION,

WITH A LITTLE LESS TALK, AND A LOT MORE ACTION”.

I TALKED ABOUT THE DEVELOPMENTS, BOTH PUBLIC AND PRIVATE, IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA, THE SARDIS CHURCH ROAD PROJECT, THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE PLANT FOR KUMHO TIRE GEORGIA, THE IMPROVEMENTS TO AMERSON RIVER PARK, AND THE ON-GOING EFFORTS TO PHYSICALLY CONSOLIDATE THE VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS AND FUNCTIONS OF THE NEW GOVERNMENT.  I ALSO SAID THAT WE NEEDED TO UNITE THE COMMUNITY IN OUR EFFORTS TO PROVIDE QUALITY PUBLIC EDUCATION AND THE ELIMINATION OF POVERTY & BLIGHT.

IN 2016, I AGAIN GAVE A REPORT AND I DESCRIBED THE STATE OF OUR COMMUNITY AS “INCREASINGLY CONFIDENT”, AND I DISCUSSED NOT ONLY THE SUCCESSES OF CONSOLIDATION, BUT ALSO THE GROWING POPULARITY OF THE “WALKABLE URBAN” MODEL OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AS OPPOSED TO THE “DRIVABLE SUBURBAN” MODEL, AND THE COMMUNITY GROWTH THAT HAS RESULTED DIRECTLY FROM THE EFFORTS OF MERCER, NEWTOWN, THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, THE INDUSTRIAL AUTHORITY, THE MACON WATER AUTHORITY AND OTHERS.  I CONCLUDED LAST YEAR’S ADDRESS WITH A  S-W-O-T ANALYSIS, AND I CONCLUDED THAT OUR STRENGTHS GREATLY OUTWEIGHED OUR WEAKNESSES, AND THAT OUR OPPORTUNITIES WERE ATTAINABLE IF WE DIDN’T LET OUR THREATS MATERIALIZE, SPECIFICALLY THE LOSS OF THE MOMENTUM THAT WE HAD ACHIEVED.

THIS YEAR, I AM BACK TO DECLARE THAT THE STATE OF OUR COMMUNITY IN 2017, IS “INCREASINGLY ENLIGHTENED “.  WE ARE STILL “DYNAMIC” AND WE ARE STILL “INCREASINGLY CONFIDENT”,  BUT  NOW WE ARE NOW BECOMING AWARE OF ONE SIMPLE TRUTH:   WE ARE  IN COMPETITION WITH OTHER COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT THE SOUTHEAST, ACROSS THE NATION, AND AROUND THE WORLD FOR JOBS, INDUSTRY, POPULATION GROWTH, AND TAX BASE.  WE ARE REALIZING THAT IF WE ARE GOING TO COMPETE, WE MUST HAVE AN ATTRACTIVE COMMUNITY, AND NOT JUST ATTRACTIVE FOR US GATHERED HERE, BUT FOR ALL AGES, RACES, AND ETHNICITIES.

LET ME EXPLAIN:

• THERE IS A GLOBAL TREND TOWARD URBANIZATION; JUST A FEW SHORT YEARS AGO, FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER IN THE HISTORY OF MANKIND, THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE, WORLDWIDE, LIVING IN URBAN AREAS EXCEEDED THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE LIVING IN RURAL AREAS.
• ACCORDING TO THE UNITED NATIONS, 54% OF THE WORLD’S POPULATION NOW LIVES IN URBAN AREAS, AND THAT NUMBER IS PROJECTED TO BE 66% BY 2050, AND HALF OF THE URBAN POPULATION WILL LIVE IN MEDIUM- SIZED COMMUNITIES OF 500 THOUSAND OR LESS.
• THIS GLOBAL TREND IS REFLECTED BY THE EVOLVING “MEGA-REGIONS” WITHIN THE UNITED STATES; A MEGAREGION IS A PREDOMINANTLY URBANIZED REGION THAT INCLUDES A NUMBER OF CITIES AND OFTEN A PORTION OF SEVERAL STATES. THE SOUTHEAST HAS A MEGA-REGION THAT STRETCHES FROM RALEIGH-DURHAM, NC TO CHARLOTTE, NC TO GREENVILLE SC, TO ATLANTA, GA TO BIRMINGHAM, AL.,   KNOWN AS THE PIEDMONT-ATLANTIC MEGAREGION, OR “P-A-M” FOR SHORT.
• ACCORDING TO THE ATLANTA REGIONAL COMMISSION, IN 2008 THE PIEDMONT-ATLANTIC MEGAREGION HAD 15 MILLION JOBS AND WAS HOME TO 34 MILLION PEOPLE. P-A-M  WAS EXPECTED TO GROW NEARLY 70% BY 2050 FOR A GAIN OF MORE THAN 23 MILLION PEOPLE.
• MACON-BIBB COUNTY IS ON THE SOUTHERN EDGE OF THE P-A-M, AND HAS BEEN DESCRIBED AS A “STRATEGIC PORTAL OF ENTRY”, WITH PROXIMITY TO ATLANTA AND CONNECTIONS TO THE PORTS OF SAVANNAH, BRUNSWICK, JACKSONVILLE, CHARLESTON, AND MOBILE.  WE HAVE AN EXCELLENT CHANCE OF ATTRACTING OUR FAIR SHARE OF THE ADDITIONAL BUSINESSES AND POPULATION COMING TO OUR REGION, IF WE CHOSE TO DO SO.
• WE HAVE THE LOCATION, CLIMATE, AND NATURAL RESOURCES, BUT LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION IS NO LONGER ENOUGH. THE WORKFORCE OF TOMORROW IS AN INCREASINGLY IMPORTANT FACTOR IN ATTRACTING THE JOBS OF TOMORROW, AND THE MILLENIAL GENERATION HAS THE TECHNICAL SKILLS AND COMPUTER PROGRAMMING CAPABILITIES NOT ONLY TO FILL EXISTING JOBS, BUT ALSO TO ESTABLISH THE ENTREPRENEURIAL ATMOSPHERE IN WHICH NEW JOBS ARE BORN. WE MUST ATTRACT TOMORROW’S  TALENTED WORKFORCE TO OUR COMMUNITY, AND WE CAN; HOWEVER, THAT WILL TAKE INTENTIONAL AND DEDICATED EFFORTS.
• Millennials (also known as Generation Y) are the demographic cohort following Generation X. There are no precise dates for when this cohort starts or ends; demographers and researchers typically use the early 1980s as starting birth years and the mid-1990s to early 2000s as ending birth years. Millennials, who are generally the children of baby boomers and older Gen Xers, are sometimes referred to as “Echo Boomers” due to a major surge in birth rates in the 1980s and 1990s. (Wikipedia)
• WE KNOW THAT MILLENIALS ARE ATTRACTED TO “SUSTAINABLE” CITIES THAT FEATURE THE WALKABLE URBAN LIFESTYLE, AND THE CITIES WHICH UNDERSTAND THAT, INVEST IN THE NECESSARY INFRASTRUCTURE TO ATTRACT THOSE INDIVIDUALS. AUSTIN, TX,  NASHVILLE, TN,  AND GREENVILLE, SC,  ARE EXAMPLES OF CITIES THAT “GET IT”.
• CITIES “GET IT” WHEN THE CITIZENS “GET IT”. THERE IS AN OLD SAYING THAT MY FRIEND, KEITH MOFFETT, BROUGHT TO MY ATTTENTION YEARS AGO.  IT IS FRAMED AND HANGS ON A WALL IN MY OFFICE WHERE I SEE IT EVERYDAY.  IT READS:  “A CITY IS NOT LOVED BECAUSE IT BECOMES GREAT; A CITY BECOMES GREAT BECAUSE IT IS LOVED”.
• WE NEED TO BE A GREAT CITY IF WE ARE TO COMPETE WITH OTHER GREAT CITIES IN ATTRACTING THE MILLENIAL WORKFORCE AND THE JOBS OF TOMORROW!  LET ME BE CLEAR ABOUT ONE THING; WE ARE NOT IN COMPETITION WITH WARNER ROBINS AND HOUSTON COUNTY; WE ARE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THEM AND WITH THE OTHER COMMUNITIES IN MIDDLE GEORGIA.   WE NEED TO THINK REGIONALLY AND ACT LOCALLY, AND WE HAVE AN EVER-INCREASING NUMBER OF ISSUES THAT MUST BE ADDRESSED ON A REGIONAL BASIS: CLEAN AIR; CLEAN WATER, HEALTHCARE; HIGHER EDUCATION; WORKFORCE; TRANSPORTATION; AND SOLID WASTE DISPOSAL TO NAME A FEW, AND ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE TO BE SPECIFIC.    SO, COLLABORATION WITH OUR NEIGHBORS IS CRITICAL.
• HOWEVER, WE NEED TO FOCUS ON MAKING MACON-BIBB CO. A GREAT CITY THAT ATTRACTS MILLENIALS. WE NEED TO WORK TOGETHER AND PUT IN THE EFFORT, ENERGY, TIME, AND MONEY TO MAKE IT HAPPEN.   THIS IS THE “ENLIGHTENED SELF-INTEREST” THAT I SEE BECOMING MORE PREVALENT IN MACON-BIBB COUNTY WHEN I DESCRIBE THE STATE OF OUR COMMUNITY.
• FIRST, I SEE THIS ENLIGHTENED SELF-INTEREST EXEMPLIFIED DAILY BY THE DEDICATED AND DETERMINED EMPLOYEES, DEPARTMENT HEADS, AND ADMINISTRATION OF OUR CONSOLIDATED GOVERNMENT, AS WELL AS OUR CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICERS. THEY ARE A TALENTED GROUP, AND THEY HAVE MANAGED TO DO MORE WITH LESS OVER THESE LAST 3 YEARS. OUR GENERAL FUND BUDGET HAS BEEN REDUCED FROM $166 MILLION TO $143 MILLION, AND WE HAVE MET THE REQUIRED 20%  REDUCTION SPECIFIED IN OUR CHARTER.
• WE ALL OWE THEM A DEBT OF GRATITUDE FOR THE WORK THEY DO EVERY DAY, FROM THE MORE VISIBLE SHERIFF’S OFFICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENT PERSONNEL, TO THE LESS VISIBLE BUT ALSO NEEDED AND NECESSARY PUBLIC WORKS, RECREATION, MAINTENANCE, TRAFFIC CONTROL, EMERGENCY RESPONSE, 911, ENGINEERING, AND PARKS PERSONNEL.  THEY HAVE ALL DONE SO MUCH OVER THESE LAST 3 YEARS TO GET THE NEW CONSOLIDATED GOVERNMENT UP AND RUNNING SO SUCCESSFULLY.
• ALSO, THE INTERNAL ADMINISTRATION, HUMAN RESOURCES, FINANCE, AND LEGAL DEPARTMENT PERSONNEL NEED TO BE RECOGNIZED FOR THE FABULOUS JOB THEY HAVE DONE UNDER SUCH DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCES.   FROM A GOVERNMENTAL STANDPOINT, WE ARE POISED TO BE A GREAT CITY.
• AS WE CONSIDER THE STATE OF OUR COMMUNITY FROM A FINANCIAL STANDPOINT, THERE IS GOOD NEWS AND NOT SO GOOD NEWS. WE HAVE HAD AN UNMODIFIED OPINION FROM OUR EXTERNAL AUDIT ALL THREE YEARS OF OUR EXISTANCE, AND THIS YEAR,  WE WERE ABLE TO COMPLETE A COMPREHENSIVE ANNUAL FINANCIAL REPORT (CAFR) FOR THE FIRST TIME,  SINCE IT REQUIRES AN ORGANIZATIONAL HISTORY FOR COMPARRISON, AND AS A BRAND NEW GOVERNMENTAL ENTITY, WE HAVEN’T HAD A HISTORY.  DOES THAT HELP YOU TO UNDERSTAND WHAT WE HAVE ACCOMPLISHED?  ALSO, THIS YEAR, WE HAVE COMPLETED OUR FIRST POPULAR ANNUAL FINANCIAL REPORT (PAFR) THAT PRESENTS THE SAME INFORMATION IN A MORE-READER FRIENDLY FORMAT, WITH PICTURES AND WORD DESCRIPTIVE NARRATIVES.  (THERE ARE A FEW HARD COPIES THAT HAVE BEEN PUT OUT, BUT IT’S ALSO AVAILABLE ON-LINE AT MACONBIBBCOUNTY.US/FINANCE, SCROLL DOWN , CLICK ON AUDITS, AND FIND PAFR 2016)
• OUR RECENT CAFR WAS AN UNMODIFIED OPINION WITH NO FINDINGS, AND THAT’S FANTASTIC. THE AUDIT ALSO CONFIRMED THAT OUR PENSION PLANS ARE WELL FUNDED, AND THAT OUR NET WORTH WAS $185 MILLION. SO THAT’S ALL GOOD NEWS, BUT WE ARE STILL WORKING TO BALANCE CURRENT REVENUES WITH CURRENT EXPENSES.  IT HAS BEEN A MOVING TARGET, AND WE HAVE ELIMINATED ALL FORMER CITY TAXES WITHOUT INCREASING THE COUNTY MILLEGE.  IT REMAINS AT 14.652 MILS WHERE IT HAS BEEN SINCE 2012.
• OTHER REVENUES ARE INCREASING BUT NOT FAST ENOUGH TO MEET EXPENSES, EVEN THOUGH THE EXPENSES HAVE CONTINUED TO DECLINE. THIS PAST FISCAL YEAR, OUR GENERAL FUND REVENUES OF $137 MILLION WERE $8 MILLION SHORT OF OUR TOTAL EXPENDITURES, AND OUR FUND BALANCE DECLINED FROM $27 TO $19 MILLION .  OBVIOUSLY, THAT CAN’T CONTINUE, AND WE ARE WORKING HARD TO MAKE THE ENDS MEET THIS FISCAL YEAR, WHICH ENDS IN JUNE. SPECIAL THANKS TO JULIE MOORE AND THE BUDGET TEAM FOR FINDING SOLUTIONS, IDENTIFYING WAYS TO SAVE, AND HELPING OUR DEPARTMENTS THRU THESE LEAN YEARS.
• IT’S OBVIOUS FROM OUR BUDGET REDUCTION THAT WE ARE MORE EFFICIENT, AND WE ARE ALSO MORE EFFECTIVE. YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE ABOUT 300 FEWER EMPLOYEES THAN WHEN BEGAN IN 2014.  WE HAVE TO BE MORE EFFICIENT AND MORE EFFECTIVE. OUR ON-LINE PRESENCE AND REMOTE BUSINESS TRANSACTIONS ARE INCREASING, AND OUR “SEE-CLICK-FIX” APPLICATION IS NOTHING SHORT OF PHENOMINAL FOR GETTING PROBLEMS REPORTED AND FIXED. PEOPLE LIKE TO HAVE AN EFFECTIVE AND RESPONSIVE LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND ALL GREAT CITIES HAVE ONE.  I’M THANKFUL FOR THE GREAT LOCAL GOVERNMENT TEAM THAT WE HAVE HERE IN MACON-BIBB CO., BUT IF WE ARE TO BE A GREAT CITY, THERE HAS TO BE LOVE AND SUPPORT FOR THE COMMUNITY BY MORE THAN JUST GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES;  AND THIS IS ANOTHER REASON THAT I SAY WE ARE ON TRACK TO BE A GREAT PLACE TO LIVE:  COMMUNITY SUPPORT THAT’S GROWING B/C OF ENLIGHTENED SELF-INTEREST.
• THIS SAME ENLIGHTENED SELF-INTEREST WAS EVIDENCED BY THE OVER-WHELMING SUPPORT OF THE 2018 SPLOST VOTE LAST NOVEMBER. 62% APPROVAL OF THE EXTRA PENNEY SALES TAX FOR NEEDED CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS. THAT IS A BIG HELP, AND A SMART WAY TO FINANCE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS. WE ARE PLANNING NOW TO PICK UP WHERE WE LEAVE OFF WITH THE CURRENT 2012 SPLOST.
• I ALSO SEE THIS ENLIGHTENED SELF INTEREST IN THE COMMUNITY SUPPORT FOR THE I-16/75 INTERCHANGE RECONSTRUCTION, PHASE 1 OF WHICH HAS BEEN LET TO CONSTRUCTION IN JANUARY, WITH PHASES 2 & 3 TO BE LET TO CONSTRUCTION IN FEBRUARY. YES, IT WILL BE YEARS TO COMPLETE, BUT WE ARE READY TO SEE THE PROJECT BEGIN, AND WE’LL SEE IT THROUGH! WE KNOW THAT TRANSPORTATION AND CONNECTIVITY ARE ESSENTIAL FOR A GREAT CITY.
• I ALSO SEE THIS ENLIGHTENED SELF INTEREST IN THE OVERWHELMING COMMUNITY SUPPORT FOR THE EXPANSION OF THE OCMULGEE NATIONAL MONUMENT WHICH HAS RESULTED IN THE BILL TO AUTHORIZE THAT EXPANSION AND UPGRADE  ITS STATUS TO A NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK,  BEING REINTRODUCED AND ALREADY PASSED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES THIS SESSION, THANKS TO SANFORD BISHOP AND AUSTIN SCOTT.  THAT BILL IS NOW PENDING AGAIN IN THE SENATE WHERE IT HAS THE SUPPORT OF SENATORS ISAKSON AND PERDUE.
• I ALSO SEE THIS ENLIGHTENED SELF-INTEREST AND COMMUNITY SUPPORT IN EFFORTS BY THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE TO PROMOTE WELLNESS PROGRAMS AMONG ITS MEMBER BUSINESSES, BECAUSE THEY KNOW AND RECOGNIZE THAT HEALTHY EMPLOYEES ARE KEY TO THE SUCCESS OF THE BUSINESS AND THE COMMUNITY.  NEW BUSINESSES AREN’T GOING TO LOCATE WHERE THE WORK FORCE IS OVERWIGHT,  RIDDLED WITH DIABETES, HEART PROBLEMS, AND HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE.
• I SEE THIS ENLIGHTENED SELF INTEREST IN THE EFFORTS OF THE BUSINESS-EDUCATION PARTNERSHIP OF THE ONE MACON PROGRAM, LEAD BY BLAKE SULLIVAN, TO RAISE $2.1 MILLION TO PUT STEPHEN COVEY’S “LEADER IN ME” PROGRAM IN ALL 29 PUBLIC EDUCATION ELEMENTERY AND MIDDLE SCHOOLS.  WE’LL BE THE FIRST COMMUNITY IN THE STATE TO PUT THIS PROGRAM IN ALL ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOLS.  THEY KNOW PEOPLE WON’T MOVE TO A COMMUNITY WITH A POOR PUBLIC EDUCATION SYSTEM. THAT CAMPAIGN WILL KICK OFF ON MARCH 23^RD. THANKS ALSO TO SUPT. CURTIS JONES AND THE BIBB COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION FOR THEIR EFFORTS TO IMPROVE PUBLIC EDUCATION.
• I SEE THIS ENLIGHTENED SELF-INTEREST IN THE WORK OF THE PEYTON ANDERSON FOUNDATION, THE KNIGHT FOUNDATION, AND THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION TO COLLABORATE AND PROVIDE THE FUNDING AND ADMINISTRATION FOR A VARIETY OF PROJECTS THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY, INCLUDING THE DOWNTOWN CHALLENGE GRANT PROGRAM WHICH SEEKS TO IMPLEMENT AND ENHANCE THE “MACON ACTION PLAN”.  THEY KNOW VISITORS WON’T COME IF THE COMMUNITY ISN’T ATTRACTIVE AND FUN.
• I SEE THIS ENLIGHTENED SELF INTEREST IN THE MACON-BIBB COUNTY COMMISSION; WE ARE WORKING WELL TOGETHER. THEY VOTED TO AUTHORIZE THE URBAN DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY TO CREATE A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN FOR ON-STREET, OFF-STREET, AND RESIDENTIAL PARKING IN DOWNTOWN AREA, AND THEY HAVE INDICATED THEIR SUPPORT FOR NEW PARKING DECKS THAT ARE ESSENTIAL TO ADDITIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN OUR COMMUNITY.  THEY KNOW VISITORS WON’T COME TO EVENTS IF PARKING ISN’T NEARBY AND AVAILABLE.
• I SEE THIS ENLIGHTENED SELF INTEREST IN THE EFFORTS OF ROBERT MCDUFFIE TO ESTABLISH OF “THE CENTER FOR STRINGS” AT MERCER’S TOWNSEND SCHOOL OF MUSIC, WHICH IS ATTRACTING THE FINEST STUDENTS FROM ACROSS THE COUNTY AND AROUND THE WORD TO COME TO MACON AND STUDY. HE KNOWS CULTURE AND REFINEMENT ARE ESSENTIAL TO A GREAT CITY.
• I SEE THIS ENLIGHTENED SELF INTEREST IN THE EFFORTS OF STEVE MORETTI AND MATT CATINGUB TO START THE MACON POPS AND PUT ON FABULOUS CONCERTS SEVERAL TIMES A YEAR. THEY KNOW WE NEED TO HAVE REGIONAL EVENTS TO BE A GREAT CITY. BRAGG JAM AND THE FILM FESTIVAL ARE OTHER EXAMPLES OF REGIONAL EVENTS THAT CREATE A BUZZ OF REGIONAL ACTIVITY (NO PUN INTENDED).
• I SEE THIS ENLIGHTENED SELF INTEREST IN THE EFFORTS OF THE EISENHOWER BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT WHICH SELF-IMPOSES ADDITIONAL PPROPERTY TAXES TO IMPROVE THE APPEARANCE AND SAFETY OF THE WESTERN CORRIDOR INTO OUR COMMUNITY. THEY KNOW FIRST IMPRESSIONS ARE IMPORTANT TO A GREAT CITY, AND THAT EVERY PART OF OUR COMMUNITY NEEDS TO BE CLEAN AND SAFE.
• I SEE THIS ENLIGHTENED SELF INTEREST IN OUR LOCAL HOSPITALS: NAVICENT WITH THEIR PLANS FOR A NEW CHILDRENS’ HOSPITAL, AND COLISEUM WITH THEIR ANNOUNCEMENT OF 100 NEW RESIDENTS IN THE AREAS OF PRIMARY CARE, INTERNAL MEDECINE AND PSYCHIATRY. THEY GET IT!  THEY KNOW THAT HEALTH CARE IS A CRITICAL COMPONENT OF THE “QUALITY OF LIFE” ISSUE.  THANKS ALSO TO FIRST CHOICE PRIMARY CARE FOR THEIR EFFORTS TO BRING HEALTHCARE AND WELLNESS TO UNDERSERVED AREAS OF OUR COMMUNITY.
• I SEE THIS ENLIGHTED SELF-INTEREST DEMONSTRATED BY OUR COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES: WESLEYAN COLLEGE WITH ITS CONFUCIOUS INSTITUTE AND DUAL DEGREE PROGRAM WITH GUANGZHOU UNIVERSITY IN CHINA, WHICH BRINGS CHINESE STUDENTS HERE TO STUDY; MERCER UNIVERSITY WITH THEIR INNOVATION CENTER, ATHLETIC PROGRAMS, AND SERVICE LEARNING PROJECTS ACROSS THE GLOBE; MIDDLE GEORGIA STATE UNIVERSITY WITH THEIR 5 CAMPUSES THROUGHOUT MIDDLE GEORGIA AND  SATELLITE AVIATION PROGRAM AT MACON DOWNTOWN AIRPORT; AND CENTRAL GEORGIA TECHNICAL COLLEGE WITH ITS 11 CAMPUSES ACROSS MIDDLE GEORGIA , DUAL ENROLLMENT PROGRAM, AND CERTIFICATE AND ASSOCIATE DEGREE PROGRAMS INCLUDING QUICKSTART AND THE CHARLES JONES ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY CENTER.   BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY LOVE THE WORKFORCE PIPELINE THEY FIND HERE IN MACON-BIBB.
• I SEE THIS SAME ENLIGHTENED SELF INTEREST IN THE INDUSTRIAL AUTHORITY FOR ADDING RE-IMAGINE MACON AS A PROGRAM TO REACH OUT AND INCLUDE MILLENIALS AND FOR THEIR SUPPORT OF MERCER’S INNOVATION CENTER. THEY KNOW THAT TO ATTRACT MORE MILLENIALS, YOU NEED TO REACH OUT TO THE MILENIALS WHO ARE ALREADY HERE.
• I SEE THIS SAME ENLIGHTENED SELF INTEREST IN THE FICKLING FAMILY FOUNDATION AND ITS SUPPORT FOR THE CHERRY BLOSSOM FESTIVAL WHICH DEMONSTRATES OUR COMMUNITY’S COMMITMENT TO LOVE , BEAUTY, AND INTERNATIONAL FRIENDSHIPS AS WELL AS CREATES A WEEK LONG FESTIVAL THAT ATTRACTS PEOPLE AND ATTENTION FROM ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND AROUND THE WORLD. BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY LOVE THE INTERNATIONAL FLAVOR AND WARM WELCOME THEY FIND IN MACON-BIBB COUNTY. THAT’S PART OF BEING A GREAT CITY!
• I SEE THIS SAME ENLIGHTENED SELF INTREST IN OUR LEADERSHIP MACON PROGRAM AND THE AMBITIOUS PROJECT OF LAST YEAR’S CLASS TO PUT IN A PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE TO HELP CONNECT AMERSON RIVER PARK TO EXISTING PORTIONS OF THE OCMULGEE HERITAGE TRAIL. ULTIMATELY, WITH THE COMPLETION OF I-16/75, WE WILL HAVE A HAVE A MULTI-USE PATH THAT WILL BE A FABULOUS ASSET FOR THIS COMMUNITY AND CONNECT AMERSON RIVER PARK WITH THE OCMULGEE MOUNDS NATIONAL HISTORIC PARK!!!! THESE ARE OUR MILLENIALS WHO NEED TO BE INCORPORATED INTO THE DECISION MAKING PROCESS.
• I SEE THIS SAME ENLIGHTENED SELF INTEREST IN THE COUNCIL OF CLERGY, ORGANIZED BY REV. WAYNE ANTHONY, THAT MEETS MONTHLY TO GET TO KNOW LEADERS OF ALL FAITHS HERE IN OUR COMMUNITY, TO LEARN ABOUT OUR COMMUNITY AND PRAY FOR OUR COMMUNITY, BECAUSE THEY KNOW WE NEED GOD’S BLESSING TO BUILD A GREAT CITY AND LEAD US TO LOVE AND RESPECT ONE ANOTHER. ALSO, SEVERAL CHURCHES IN THE VINEVILLE AREA ARE WORKING TOGETHER TO IMPROVE CONDITIONS IN PLEASANT HILL. THAT’S PART OF BEING A GREAT CITY;  NO AREA OF A GREAT CITY IS LEFT BEHIND!
• SO YOU SEE, IT’S NOT JUST ABOUT US HERE TODAY! IT’S ABOUT CREATING AN ENVIRONMENT FOR THE FUTURE WHERE PEOPLE CAN BE HEALTHY AND HAPPY, FAMILIES CAN BE SAFE AND SECURE, AND BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY CAN BE PRODUCTIVE AND PROFITABLE.  WE ARE ON THE RIGHT TRACK AND MAKING PROGRESS, BUT WE ARE NOT THERE YET!
• I CHALLENGED US LAST YEAR TO BECOME ONE OF THE TOP 100 BEST PLACES TO LIVE IN AMERICA. WITH THIS BEING THE FIRST YEAR OF MY LAST TERM IN OFFICE, I WANT TO EMPHASIZE OUR FOCUS ON 2020 WHICH WILL BE MY LAST YEAR IN OFFICE.   I WANT US TO ADOPT VISION 2020!   I DON’T MEAN  20/20 VISION, WHICH INDICATES THAT WE SEE PHYSICALLY AT 20 FEET WHAT OTHERS SEE AT 20 FEET;  I MEAN VISION 2020 WHICH WILL ENABLE US TO SEE SPIRITUALLY WHAT WE WANT OUR COMMUNITY TO LOOK LIKE IN 2020.  WHAT SPECIFIC STEPS CAN WE TAKE TO MAKE THAT VISION A REALITY. WHAT SPECIFIC STEPS CAN YOU TAKE TO MAKE THAT VISION A REALITY?
• I WANT TO RENEW MY CHALLENGE TO BECOME ONE OF THE BEST PLACES TO LIVE IN AMERICA. I’M COMMITTED TO THAT GOAL; I’M ENCOURAGED BY THE NUMBER OF “INCREASINGLY ENLIGHTENED” CITIZENS AND ORGANIZATIONS THAT SHARE THAT COMMITMENT.  I HOPE THAT YOU WILL JOIN US IN THIS MOST WORTHWHILE ENDEAVOR.  IT WILL TAKE ALL OF US WORKING TOGETHER TO GET IT DONE, BUT THE FUTURE IS OURS!
• THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT, AND MAY GOD BLESS MACON-BIBB COUNTY!