August 30, 2024 * Issue 394 | |
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Central Georgia CASA
receives top state award | |
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At Georgia Court Appointed Special Advocates’ (CASA) annual conference on August 24, the Central Georgia CASA received the Innovative Program Award of Excellence, the first time it’s received a statewide award.
“This award is huge for us. It’s a recognition of our team’s years of hard work and dedication to serve more and more children experiencing foster care in our community,” says Susanna Patterson, Executive Director of Central Georgia CASA. “With more volunteers, more children and families can receive individual attention and advocacy, and that means they receive more services, perform better in school, and are more likely to achieve lasting permanency."
“We’re so proud of the work Central Georgia CASA is doing to make sure the children who need us the most have someone looking out for their best interests, someone who can take up their cause and be their champion,” says Mayor Lester Miller. ““It’s because so many people and organizations have gotten involved in Macon Violence Prevention - including CASA - that we had a 43% drop in the overall homicide rate and 67% among teenagers in one year."
According to Georgia CASA, the award was given because of the strategies Central Georgia CASA used to increase the number of children service from fewer than 10 in 2013 to 150 by early 2024. That number has now increased to nearly 200 children. During that time, Central Georgia CASA used social media campaigns, community outreach, and partnerships to not only attract new volunteers, but retain them over time.
In July, Central Georgia CASA was one of 25 organizations to receive funds in the third round of Macon Violence Prevention (MVP) grants from Macon-Bibb County and being administered by the Community Foundation of Central Georgia (CFCG). It received $50,000 to recruit and train volunteers to serve a greater number of youth aged 12+ and fund staff to provide supervision and support to these volunteers. It also received $25,000 from the first round of MVP grants and $60,000 from the third round.
“Ultimately, this is about giving more children a brighter future, and with the support of Mayor Miller, the Community Foundation, and Macon Violence Prevention program, we are able to do just that,” says Patterson. “Children paired with an advocate that cares for them do better in school, have better home stability, and are better behaved in and out of school.”
“It’s the love of this community...the love of families...and the love of seeing children succeed now and in the future that is making the difference in our neighborhoods," adds Mayor Miller.
There is a new group of volunteers participating in the required training that has just started, and there is still time to sign up to become one. To sign up to be a volunteer, contact Beth Morris at beth.morris@cgcasa.org. You can also visit https://www.cgcasa.org/volunteer/apply-now/ to apply.
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Macon-Bibb County Mayor Lester Miller is recommending a reduction in the property tax rate to 9.9 mills, which is down 0.823 mills from last year and 10.431 since he took office.
This millage rate – even with the reduction – is funding pay increases for employees (including for public safety like sheriff deputies and firefighters), as well as increases in departmental and focus area funding.
“I am so excited about the direction we are heading in,” said Mayor Miller. “It’s not every day that a community can say they’ve increased all their focus points by millions of dollars per department, given raises to all of their employees, continue to support public safety, while having some of the best infrastructure we have in place, and at the same time be able to decrease our tax rate by 52%.”
In the last four years, funding for public safety increased nearly $16 million, recreation and beautification increased more than $4.5 million, and economic development has increased more than $4.5 million.
The Board of Commissioners is set to vote on the millage rate for Fiscal Year 2025 (July 1, 2024 – June 30, 2025) at a meeting on September 3, 2024, at 6:00 p.m. The meeting will be held in Commission Chambers at City Hall (700 Poplar Street) and will be broadcast live at www.facebook.com/maconbibbcounty.
To view all budget information – including the original presentation and videos from the meetings – click here. Below is the Property Tax Digest and 5 Year History of Levy that is being published in The Telegraph on Sunday, August 25, 2024.
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Tattnall Square Pickleball Center
to host State Championships | |
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From September 13-15, 2024, the Tattnall Square Pickleball Center will again host the Georgia Recreation and Park Association’s (GRPA) State Pickleball Championship. This will be third year it has been held here.
“This is a chance for people to test their skills against players from around the state...and maybe even be named state champion by the end of the weekend!” says Bobby Walker, Macon-Bibb County’s Tennis & Pickleball Manager.
“We are truly the center of the pickleball world here in Macon-Bibb, and that’s evident by the tournaments we’re hosting and the number of players traveling here from around the state and country to play,” says Mayor Lester Miller.
“We’re very excited to again be hosting this state tournament and to showcase our wonderful pickleball community and facilities to players from around Georgia,” says Robert Walker, Recreation Department Director. “Our goal in the Recreation Department is to provide our entire community ways to live healthier lives and be more active, so to host a state championship tournament where anyone can compete is a great opportunity for everyone.”
The competition is open to any resident of Georgia, and they do not have to qualify in a previous tournament. Singles will play on the 13th, gender doubles on the 14th, and mixed doubles on the 15th. The entry deadline is Wednesday, September 4, and people can sign up at www.pickleballbrackets.com. Lunch will be provided for players on Saturday.
“Our investment in our facilities is part of a broader effort to strengthen and grow sports tourism here, which brings more people to enjoy all our wonderful community has to offer,” adds Mayor Miller. “From tennis to pickleball to basketball to cheerleading to wrestling to baseball and more, this is the place people in Georgia want to compete.”
“We have such great facilities for pickleball here in Macon that we continue to draw more and bigger tournaments. To be the host for the state championships is quite the honor, and that speaks well of our facilities and our welcoming community,” adds Walker.
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Macon-Bibb County Government Offices and Courts will be closed on Monday, September 2, 2024, in observance of the Labor Day Holiday. Emergency services such as the Sheriff’s Office, E-911, and Fire Department will remain operational.
The Convenience Center at 1010 11th Street will be closed on Monday, September 2, 20224. The Center will resume to its regular business hours on Tuesday, September 6, 2024 from 8:30 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. Click here to see Convenience Center hours.
All trash and yard waste pickup services will shift one day that week. If your normal pickup day is Monday, it will move to Tuesday and so on.
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Heat waves, and tornadoes, and zombie apocalypses, OH MY! Be prepared for any emergency situation with Macon-Bibb Emergency Management Agency Director Spencer Hawkins by listening to the latest edition of the Macon It podcast. You can find it on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or Amazon. You can also click here.
The next episode drops September 3 and features our own Fire Chief, Shane Edwards! Previous guests have included Mayor Lester Miller, Macon Violence Prevention Coordinator Jeremy Grissom, Macon Mental Health Matters Coordinator Andrea Cooke, Director of Planning and Public Spaces Director Alex Morrison, and Macon-Bibb Industrial Authority Executive Director Stephen Adams.
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Macon-Bibb County's Emergency Management Agency (EMA) is inviting the entire community to its third annual Emergency Preparedness Fair on Saturday, September 28, at the Elaine H. Lucas Senior Center (132 Willis Smokie Glover Drive) from 10:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
People will be able to hear from about a dozen different preparedness and safety agencies about how they are helping keep the community safe. They will also be able to take information home about how they can help prepare their families and homes.
This year, Irving Tissue will be a key partner at the fair. They will be serving free hotdogs and hamburgers for people attending, as well as handing out tissue products. A new addition will be organizations bringing their vehicles to let kids get inside.
“Ensuring that the people who live, work, and play in Macon-Bibb County are prepared for disasters is one of the most important jobs we do in emergency management. We cannot do this alone; emergency management is a team effort,” says EMA Director Spencer Hawkins. “Because of the hard work of your EMA and the many partners that we have at the fair you will leave empowered and ready for what disasters may strike.”
People can sign up for MBCAlert by going to www.maconbibb.us/mbcalert, and people are encouraged to follow the Agency on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. You can also download the MBCAlert App on both the App Store and Google Play.
Hawkins also wants to stress to people that follow local media and weather forecasters on their social media channels to make sure they get as much information as possible about emergencies and severe weather.
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Let’s fiesta at the 3rd annual Macon-Bibb Hispanic Festival on Saturday, September 21! The festival has grown and will now be held at Carolyn Crayton Park (150 Willie Smokie Glover Drive) from 1:00 – 7:00 p.m.
The family-friendly event is free and open to everyone, and it includes live music and entertainment, arts and crafts vendors, food truck vendors, a kids’ zone, and so much more. You’re welcome to bring lawn chairs and blankets to sit on the lawn.
“Hispanic heritage is worth celebrating, and this festival does just that,” says Mayor Lester Miller. “We’re excited to expand this celebration to Carolyn Crayton Park. I hope many of you will come to eat some great food, dance, and learn more about the different Hispanic cultures in our community.”
We invite you to participate the parade throughout the park that kicks off the festival at 1:00 p.m. If you are interested in participating, email elizabethm.almena@gmail.com.
The event is organized by NotiVision Georgia with partnership from Macon-Bibb County. Representatives from most Hispanic leaders will be in attendance.
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Speed limit enforcement
changing for 4 school zones Sept 9
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On Monday, September 9 four school zones will have changes in how the speed limit is enforced using cameras. The cameras in the Vineville Academy of the Arts (2260 Vineville Avenue) and Heritage Elementary School (6050 Thomaston Road) zones will be used to issue speeding tickets.
Cameras have been added to the zones for the Academy for Classical Education (5665 New Forsyth Road) and Bernd Elementary School (4160 Ocmulgee East Boulevard), and those will be used to only issue warnings beginning September 9. Full enforcement with tickets will begin Monday, October 21.
Cameras are already being used to enforce the speed limit at Carter Elementary, Hartley Elementary, Heard Elementary, Springdale Elementary, Appling Middle & Northeast High, Ballard-Hudson Middle & Ingram-Pye Elementary, Rutland Middle & High, First Presbyterian Day School, Stratford Academy, Southwest High, Weaver Middle, Westside High, Southwest High, and Windsor Academy.
The cameras actively enforce the speed limit on school days when classes are in session, from one hour before the start of school until one hour after dismissal. The start and end times and the enforcement times are below. The flashing lights in a school zone only indicate the reduced limit around the beginning and end of school. The cameras enforce both the reduced speed limit and the regular speed limit in the middle of the day.
Citations using the cameras are only issued when a vehicle travels within a school zone more than 10 miles per hour of the posted speed limit. The first citation will be $100, and each subsequent citation will be $150. Money collected from these fines shall only be used to fund local law enforcement or public safety initiatives.
These citations will not show up on a person’s driving record nor be used for “points” with their insurance. All citations are reviewed by the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office to ensure its compliance with Macon-Bibb’s Code.
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Get your sneakers and best fit ready for Saturday, December 14, 2024! The Mayor’s 3rd Annual Sneaker Ball is back, and tickets are on sale now. The Ball will be happening at 8:00 p.m. at Macon City Auditorium (415 1st Street).
“This is our time to celebrate! Celebrate our successes this year, and the celebrate each other,” says Mayor Lester Miller. “It’s a time where so many of us from different walks of life, different views, come together to be one to be Team Macon-Bibb.”
This year’s Ball will feature live music and DJ, dancing, cash bar, silent auction, and more! All proceeds will go towards funding the ball and the Lester M. Miller Academic Scholarships. Tickets and tables will be on sale until Friday, November 22, 2024. Tickets and tables MUST be purchased online. You will not be able to purchase tickets at the door.
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The Hub is Macon-Bibb County's source of information for employees, residents, businesses, and partners. With this regular e-blast, the Office of Communications provides a consistent flow of information about the efforts and successes of the consolidated government and partners to strengthen Macon-Bibb as the Hub City of Middle Georgia.
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The Office of Communications include Media Relations, event planning, photography and video services, criss communication, and more. Its goal is to provide people information about the consolidated government and partner organizations,
and to give them the chance to provide feedback, ask questions,
and request services.
The Office has earned multiple
recognitions for its efforts.
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Macon-Bibb County
Macon-Bibb County is the fourth largest city in Georgia. Created on January 1, 2014 after being approved by the voters, it is Georgia's newest consolidated government and serves about 155,000 residents and thousands more visitors.
Its governing body consists of 10 Commissioners, with the Mayor serving as its Chair and the Chief Executive Office of the administration.
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