Mayor Delivers First State Of City Address

It was yet another string of "firsts" for the City of Peachtree Corners and Mayor Mike Mason who delivered his first State of the City address on Monday morning at a breakfast meeting sponsored by the Peachtree Corners Business Association.

Some 120 local business men and women came to hear the mayor speak about the city's first year. The event was held at the Marriott Hotel on Peachtree Parkway.

The mayor began with a quote from automobile giant Henry Ford who said: "Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress and working together is success."

"There is no better quote than that to explain our success," said the mayor.

"We're on the right tract," he said giving credit to the city council for coming together to work for the good of the city.

Mason counted off the accomplishments of the city's first year which included setting up a city government from scratch, forming a Planning Commission, a Zoning Board of Appeals and a Downtown Development Authority in addition to transitioning the three services (planning and zoning, code enforcement and trash pickup) from the county. 

"We've recently selected a trash vendor," said the mayor who added that there will be considerable savings to the residents, along with additional programs including an incentive to help increase recycling.

The city also reduced the millage rate to zero for the 2013-14 budget year. Peachtree Corners citizens will also see a .375 millage rate credit from the county as a result of a lawsuit settlement between the county and Gwinnett cities.

"It's now cheaper to live in Peachtree Corners than unincorporated Gwinnett County," the mayor pointed out.

Despite the financial benefits, the driving force for cityhood was the need for self determination he said. "We wanted to make the decisions that affect our quality of life."

Mason concluded his speech with a quote from Helen Keller: "Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much."

"Let's make that the theme for the coming year," he said.