City Government

Mayor’s Column: Providing Safety in Peachtree Corners

Published

3 years ago

December 14, 2021

Peachtree Corners Magazine staff

How Technology Plays its Part, December 2021

One of the most–if not the most–important responsibilities of local government, is to create a safe environment for its residents and visitors. The Council, Staff and I take this responsibility very seriously. To provide a high level of safety in today’s world not only takes people, but technology as well.

We rely heavily on our Intergovernmental Agreement with the Gwinnett County Police Department (GCPD) to provide highly trained officers to enforce our laws and provide a high level of safety and security. Since we achieved cityhood, GCPD has provided Peachtree Corners with an outstanding level of service, but as the environment changes, we must continually search for ways to adapt and improve. As a city that prides itself on leading in the way of technology, we often look that way for innovative solutions.

As most of you know, the ability of police departments across the country to hire and retain qualified officers has become a challenge. Here in Gwinnett County, that is no different. As this challenge continues, the need for technology to support officers in the field has increased. The City has and will continue to work strategically with the GCPD to identify and launch solutions that support the officers in the field.

One solution that had been implemented by the City was the installation of 25 license plate reader cameras at strategic locations throughout the City. These locations were identified by GCPD as areas in which they needed more vision. These cameras are being used to scan license plates and use that information to identify any vehicles included on the ‘Be on the Look Out’ (BOLO) list issued by the police. In addition to the cameras installed by the City, GCPD has access to over 1,500 cameras in the metro Atlanta region and around 2,000 statewide. This network allows the GCPD to track a plate, over time, covering a large area.

These cameras have provided GCPD the ability to monitor multiple locations, with less officers, thus increasing the efficiency of their operations. Since the installation of these cameras, GCPD has used the technology to identify and arrest multiple suspects believed to have been involved in several shootings that occurred in the area. Additionally, the cameras have been used as a resource that has led to the recovery of over $1M in stolen property from June 2021 to October 2021. While these cameras in their current state have been successful, some criminals are aware of this type of technology and are finding ways to circumvent their current limitations.

As some of you may know, our City has dealt with a few street racing and intersection takeovers over the past couple of months. As has been occurring nationwide, those participating in these activities are not rowdy teenagers, but members of “car clubs”. They use these events to monetize their activities by recording their activities, posting videos on various social media platforms and online sites and obtaining views, shares and likes on the platforms.

Unfortunately, these events are classified as misdemeanor traffic violations by the State, and by policy, GCPD does not engage in the active pursuit of these vehicles or those participating. Recently, the laws governing these crimes have been strengthened but are only applied to those deemed repeat offenders. In response, GCPD has recommended the City upgrade our cameras with an additional application that will allow them to identify the vehicle through means other than a license plate. As we move forward, this winter, the City will be adding an additional 25 cameras at other strategic locations identified by GCPD.

Another way the City is looking to move forward is to work with our neighbors and petition our State Legislators to find other ways to enhance the laws regarding these types of incidents. The City will continue to work to have these types of activities classified as a higher level, arrestable offense and to include increased penalties for those who violate.

As the City continues to grow, the need for monitoring increases. For example, the popularity of Town Center continues to increase, and there are few times when someone isn’t enjoying the town green, playground equipment, restaurants or entertainment events. To secure the area, and to keep everyone safe, the City has enlisted the services of an off-duty police officer. To assist that officer, we will be installing a network of 76 cameras throughout the facility. This camera network will provide the officer with the ability to monitor multiple locations around town center from one central location, giving that officer the vision of 20 officers, without the need for that type of manpower. Also, when there is not an officer on duty, the video will be available to GCPD as notifications are received at their main surveillance center.

Regarding privacy, it is important to note that these cameras do not employ facial recognition capabilities or any other type of identification software. They have the technology built in to recognize crowds gathered and send notifications to the GCPD for them to verify in real time what is taking place in that field of view. This technology will provide officers with the ability to respond to a location quickly if the need arises.

The City of Peachtree Corners is committed to keeping our citizens safe whenever and wherever they may be in our City. Through our strong partnership with GCPD, we will continue to support them with technology that enhances and multiplies their effectiveness to patrol and provide the highest level of safety and security to our residents and visitors. While we fully support their role in providing public safety to our citizens, we understand and acknowledge that your public safety is our responsibility, and we will continue to work to make Peachtree Corners the safest city in the state

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City Government

Councilmember Eric Christ: 2025 Peachtree Corners Municipal Elections

Published

3 weeks 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

2 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.

City Government

BRACK: How one city operates without property tax

Published

2 months ago

January 30, 2025

Courtesy of Elliott Brack's Gwinnett Forum

Peachtree Corners City Hall in the evening with flag display, signage and lights.

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.

White man with white hair and glasses wearing a suit with a red tie, smiling. Beside the image is the name Ellliott Brack in all-caps blue letters on a white background.

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.

White man with short brown hair and facial hair wearing a suit, smiling at the camera with an American flag behind him. — Salley

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.

Infographic of the FY2025 Budget at a Glance for Peachtree Corners

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.