City Government

From the Mayor’s Desk: Extending a Helping Hand to Our Small Businesses

Published

4 years ago

February 11, 2021

Peachtree Corners Magazine staff

Since March of last year, the pandemic has upended the day-to-day lives of each of us including our small businesses which have suffered dearly trying to keep their doors open while also feeding their own families.

In late September, the cities in Gwinnett County were given federal grant money (CARES Act) to disperse in our communities. We had a short deadline of December 1st but were determined to help our small business community. As a result of a tremendous effort by the city staff, we were able to award federal grants totaling $2.66 million to 118 qualified local businesses. The funds will assist in providing relief to business operators that experienced a downturn in 2020 when they were forced to adjust their operations and/or shut down as a result of the pandemic.

The funds are part of monies received by the city from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, also known as the CARES Act, a $2.2 trillion economic stimulus bill passed by the U.S. Congress in March of 2020. The funds will help bolster our efforts to meet the needs of Peachtree Corners small business owners and operators most impacted by the pandemic.

The city targeted restaurants, retail stores, hair and nail salons, and fitness centers to receive the funds. Additionally, the city awarded funds to non-targeted businesses, such as medical offices and daycares, that met the criteria established by the city.

One recipient is Andrew Hoppen, owner of Taqueria del Mar. Andrew is also a resident. He told the city that ever since the pandemic, he’s had to operate at 60-70% capacity based on prior years. As you may or may not know, the margin of profits for restaurants is typically 3-6% so it doesn’t take an accountant to figure out that he would not have been able to continue operating his business much longer without the CARES funds.

Our small business community is the lifeblood of our city. And we are not alone, some 30.2 million small businesses operate in this country according to the Small Business Association Office of Advocacy.

Businesses may use the monies awarded to them by the city for rent, payroll, utilities, and inventory. Overall, restaurants received 50% of the total funds, nail and hair salons, 9%, retail stores 5%, fitness centers 4%, other targeted business 6%. Non-targeted businesses received 25% of the total. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $50,000.

The city received over 160 applications for the Small Business Assistance Program. City staff spent countless hours reviewing applications and communicating with businesses to get the required documents to make informed decisions and to comply with the CARES Act.

The $2.2 trillion CARES Act passed in March is the largest economic stimulus package in U.S. history amounting to 10% of total U.S. gross domestic product.

We all depend on the many small businesses in our city, and we are very pleased that the city has the opportunity to help this segment of our business community. These grants will also go a long way in helping our city’s long-term economic recovery.

Most important, as we approach what has to be the strangest year in many, we were just grateful that we could help improve the lives of those struggling every day. Thanks to Gwinnett County for passing along the funding, and thanks to our staff for a real heroic effort in getting the checks processed. We hope it helps make life a little easier until this pandemic is over.

Please stay safe everyone.

Mike Mason, Mayor

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City Government

The Future of Law Enforcement in Peachtree Corners: Community Meeting

Published

7 days ago

April 14, 2025

Peachtree Corners Magazine staff

Flyer for a community meeting regarding law enforcement in Peachtree Corners.

The City of Peachtree Corners will hold an important public meeting on May 8 to discuss the future of law enforcement in our community — including the potential creation of a city police department.

This meeting will feature a presentation by City Manager Brian Johnson on the findings of a comprehensive Police Analysis & Staffing Study that evaluated the feasibility and projected costs of forming a city police department based on current workload, crime levels and community demographics.

The presentation will also include budgetary considerations, comparative models and the advantages and disadvantages of a county vs. city police department.

Following the presentation, there will be time for a Q&A and open dialogue.

In-person attendance is limited to 300. First come, first served. A livestream option will be available for those who can’t attend in person.

After the meeting, a follow-up survey will be available on the city’s project page.

Meeting details

The Future of Law Enforcement in Peachtree Corners

Date/Time: May 8, 2025 at 7 p.m.

Location: Christ the King Lutheran Church (5775 Peachtree Parkway)

For more information, visit peachtreecornersga.gov.

City Government

Councilmember Eric Christ: 2025 Peachtree Corners Municipal Elections

Published

2 months ago

March 3, 2025

Peachtree Corners Magazine staff

A white man with glasses, wearing a dark colored jacket walking in the road alongside a line of vintage cars.

Source: Peachtree Corners Post 2 Councilmember Eric Christ’s recent newsletter.

Peachtree Corners Municipal Elections Tuesday, November 4 in white font on a blue background.

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.

City Government

City of Peachtree Corners Receives Distinguished Budget Presentation Award

Published

3 months ago

January 31, 2025

Peachtree Corners Magazine staff

For the eighth year in a row, the City of Peachtree Corners has been esteemed with the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award. This award was presented by the Georgia Finance Officers Association (GFOA) for the City’s Fiscal Year 2025 budget submission.

The award represents a significant achievement by the entity. It reflects the commitment of the governing body and staff to meeting the highest principles of governmental budgeting. To receive the budget award, the entity had to satisfy nationally recognized guidelines for effective budget presentation. These guidelines are designed to assess how well an entity’s budget serves as a:

policy document
financial plan
operations guide
communications device

Budget documents must be rated “proficient” in all four categories and in the fourteen mandatory criteria within those categories to receive the award.

Certificate of Recognition

When a Distinguished Budget Presentation Award is granted to an entity, a Certificate of Recognition for Budget Presentation is also presented to the individual(s) or department designated as being primarily responsible for having achieved the award.

“Congratulations to the entire finance team on receiving this award,” said City Manager Brian Johnson.

“This recognition is a testament to our team’s hard work, professionalism and commitment to excellence.”

There are over 1,700 participants in the Budget Awards Program. The most recent Budget Award recipients, along with their corresponding budget documents, are posted quarterly on GFOA’s website.

Award recipients have pioneered efforts to improve the quality of budgeting and provide an excellent example for other governments throughout North America.

About the GFOA

The Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) advances excellence in government finance by providing best practices, professional development, resources and practical research for more than 21,000 members and the communities they serve.

About the City of Peachtree Corners, Georgia

As the heart of what is being called #SiliconOrchard in the metro Atlanta region, Peachtree Corners is a vibrant municipality that’s home to more than 45,000 residents and an innovation hub that houses some of the world’s most disruptive technology companies.

As the United States’ premier smart city powered by real-world connected infrastructure and 5G, Peachtree Corners serves as the model for how government and private industry can better collaborate to create a better future for society and business.

From the world’s first deployment of teleoperated e-scooters to fully autonomous shuttles being utilized by actual residents, and from a solar roadway to the largest electric vehicle charging hub in the region, Peachtree Corners is where the most future-forward Internet of Things (IoT) and sustainable technologies come to life for the benefit of its people and the world.

For more information, visit peachtreecornersga.gov.