City Government
Public Safety Cameras in Our City
Community safety is a top priority in our City; the City Council and I consider this is of utmost importance. Peachtree Corners is extremely fortunate to have the services of the Gwinnett County Police Department to patrol our neighborhoods and public areas.
However, we felt there was more the City could do to assist the GCPD in ensuring the safety of our citizens, our businesses and those visiting. You may have read in the news recently about Georgia Power’s program that offers cities a service to install cameras and license plate readers at strategic entry points. A number of surrounding cities have added public safety cameras through this program. The cameras record traffic movements and scan license plates.
We will begin implementing Georgia Powers’ program in the coming months. I am sure you have questions. Below is a series of Q&As which should address the majority of your queries. Please know, we are all available and happy to answer any additional questions you may have.
Editor’s Note: This Q&A was part of the city’s official news published in our April/May issue. Since publication we’ve learned that some of the cameras will be installed beginning in May but it will be August before all 15 are installed and working.
Q: Why is the City doing this? Has the crime rate risen in Peachtree Corners?
A: No. The cameras are designed to enhance GCPD’s crime-fighting capabilities. The City decided to add the video/license place recognition cameras as another step in ensuring everyone’s safety.
Q: How many cameras will be installed and where will these cameras be located?
A: With GCPD’s assistance, the city has identified 15 locations, which are all at major entry points into the City. The cameras will only capture activity in the public right of way. The locations were chosen based on factors such as traffic count and crime statistics.
Q: Will the cameras include recording activity in neighborhoods and other residential areas?
A: No, the cameras will only record activity on the selected 15 major access points. The purpose for these camera locations is to capture traffic on major thoroughfares coming in and out of our City. The accompanying map shows the locations where the cameras will be located.
Q: Will the City or residents have access to the video footage from the cameras? And how long is the video kept?
A: Only the GCPD will have access. The camera system retains video footage, which is stored in the cloud, for 30 days, after that new video footage replaces the oldest footage.
Q: Do the cameras simply record automobiles coming and going?
A: In addition to traffic activity, the cameras are equipped with License Plate Recognition (LPR) capabilities. The cameras will scan license plates and alert police if vehicles are flagged as stolen or of interest in a criminal investigation.
Q: Where are the cameras mounted?
A: The cameras and LPRs are mounted to utility poles and streetlights. They are high-speed, computer-controlled cameras that capture all license plate numbers that come into view, along with the location, date and time.
Q: How are the police notified? How does the LPR technology work?
A: The readers send an alert to officers’ laptops when a tag is read that may be connected to a stolen vehicle, car-jacking or other criminal activity.
Q: How much do these cameras cost? Did the City purchase them?
A: The cameras will be leased from Georgia Power for $285.00 per month per camera and Georgia Power will repair or replace any camera that isn’t working properly. This was a less expensive option over purchasing the equipment. Additionally, the lease agreement ensures the cameras will be maintained by the provider. The monthly cost includes the camera itself, electricity and cloud storage of data.
Q: When will the cameras be installed?
A: The City is coordinating with Georgia Power; the work is expected to be complete by late summer.
Q: Will additional cameras be added at a later time?
A: It’s possible, the GCPD will help in assessing whether additional cameras are needed.
Q: Can these cameras be installed at the entrance to my subdivision?
A: The City is working on a program that would allow subdivisions to request the cameras to be installed at the entrance. The subdivisions must meet certain criteria. Each neighborhood would be responsible for the cost of installing and the monthly/yearly cost of operation. We expect to have more information on this program in the near future.
Peachtree Corners has relatively low crime rates; however, we have state and county roads that run through our City carrying over 150,000 vehicles daily through our city limits. Adding an additional crime-fighting tool that the police can use makes our City that much safer.
Sincerely,
Mike Mason, Mayor
Source: Peachtree Corners Post 2 Councilmember Eric Christ’s recent newsletter.
On Tuesday, November 4, we will have municipal elections here in the City of Peachtree Corners for three council seats. [And] for the first time since 2013, there will be a state-wide election on the same day as our city general election.
The state-wide election is to fill two seats on the Public Service Commission, which regulates Georgia Power and other utilities.
For the PSC election, the Gwinnett County Board of Elections will have all 156 county precincts open on November 4. Historically, Peachtree Corners has had a single voting location for city elections — at City Hall.
If we do the same this year, citizens who want to vote in both the PSC and the City Council elections will need to go to two places to cast their ballots.
A few years ago, I convinced the County Board of Elections to remove their prohibition against the Gwinnett Elections Department managing city elections. (Every county surrounding Gwinnett already offered this service to their cities.)
This means there is the potential of adding our city council elections to the county ballot.
I would like to hear your thoughts on the pros and cons of combining our city council races with the county’s for this year’s elections.
Please complete my brief survey by clicking here.
To sign up for Councilmember Christ’s newsletter or find him on social media, visit linktr.ee/votechrist.
You can read more from his latest newsletter updates here and here.
Some people lament paying taxes. They don’t understand that taxes allow us to live in a more civilized manner, helping and protecting us all along. That’s why I don’t mind paying reasonable taxes for the safety of everyday living.
Many don’t recognize it, but you are often paying a small tax without realizing it as you go about your everyday business….but it’s not called a tax.
It’s called a “fee.” Each time you pay your power or utility bill and cable bill, your insurance premium, when you rent a hotel room or car…and other ways…you are providing a few cents or dollars to help fund mostly local government.
The newly-minted City of Mulberry (and previously Peachtree Corners) will run its government without taxing property owners paying a tax to fund its operations. How so? Entirely from fees.
Let’s visit what the other city without property taxes, Peachtree Corners, is doing.
We talked with Cory Salley, who is the finance director for Peachtree Corners. He sent along a graphic which shows where Peachtree Corners gets its funding, as well as how it is spent. (See graphic.)
For the most part, Peachtree Corners is funded by fees. The biggest comes from Georgia Power Company, paying $2.8 million in fees for the city for 2025. Other utilities include $450,000 from Atlanta Gas Light Company; $250,000 from Comcast; $70,000 from Direct TV; and $42,000 from AT&T. (That last figure was interesting, in effect, showing how few people have land-line telephones anymore.) Altogether, utility fees brought in $4.3 million in Peachtree Corners for 2024.
Another bucket of fees include $3.8 million in insurance fees. This comes in one check from the Department of Revenue, which collects insurance fees for all cities.
Each business in Peachtree Corners pays an occupational business license tax. With lots of professional offices in the city, these businesses contribute $4.4 million to the city coffers.
Other fee collections for 2024:
- Alcoholic licenses and sales: $1 million.
- Zoning and land development permits: $1.4 million.
- SPLOST funds on sales within Peachtree Corners: $10 million.
- Automobile and vehicle purchases: $1.7 million. This is interesting: no matter where you buy an automobile in Georgia, part of the sales tax reverts to the city where you live.
Then there are other funds coming to the city; stormwater fees, grants, solid waste, etc. Altogether, it added up to approximately a $40 million income to run the city.
Some specifics and the way they are figured:
- Real estate transfer taxes: This tax is imposed at the rate of $1 on the first $1,000 and 10 cents on each additional $10 on any conveyance of real property when the value of the interest transferred exceeds $100.
- Distilled Spirits—up to 22 cents per liter on package sales and up to 3 percent of the sale price of a drink on sales to the public;
- Wine—up to 22 cents per liter; and
- Malt Beverages—up to $6.00 per bulk container (no more than 15.5 gallons) to be paid by the wholesaler and up to 5 cents per 12 ounces when sold in bottles, cans or other containers.
- A municipality may levy a business license tax on depository financial institutions (such as a bank.) The maximum rate of this tax is 0.25 percent.
- Hotel-motel tax: a municipality may levy a hotel-motel tax at a rate of 3 percent or less or at a rate of 5, 6, 7, or 8 percent. (Yes, let the out-of-towner pay!)
Perhaps this gives you an idea of how a city, like Mulberry in the future, can operate without property taxes.
Have a comment? Send to: elliott@elliottbrack
Written by Elliott Brack
This material is presented with permission from Elliott Brack’s GwinnettForum, an online site published Tuesdays and Fridays. To become better informed about Gwinnett, subscribe (at no cost) at GwinnettForum.
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