Mike Beaudreau Reviews His First Six Months as Gwinnett County Commissioner

As I was campaigning for the post of District 3 Commissioner a year ago, I set out several goals to accomplish during my term in office. As I look back at my first six months of service, I am proud to say that the county has made good progress towards achieving those goals. Let’s take a look.

One of my top priorities was to make Gwinnett a safer place to live. In March, the Commission voted to increase salaries paid to our public safety employees, and to authorize a hiring bonus for new police officers and sheriff deputies. These moves bring public safety compensation to or above the levels paid by other metro area counties, and should allow the county to fill all of our vacant positions.

The county also began Operation Fixing Broken Windows; a joint effort by county departments, law enforcement, community groups, and local residents to address quality of life issues that can cause a decline in property values and the quality of life we enjoy in Gwinnett. Although the project has been underway for less than a month, we are already seeing positive results.

A second priority I had was to promote community friendly growth. I have proposed, and the Commission is considering, revisions to the Conservation Subdivision Overlay zoning regulations. This ordinance was designed to allow developers to build smaller lot homes in exchange for preserving a portion of the subdivision’s land as green space.

My proposed modifications would increase home sizes, and restrict the materials used for exterior siding. The county Tree Advisory board is considering these and additional changes, and I hope that we will have our final revisions ready for a vote by Labor Day.

Thirdly, I promised District 3 residents that I would work to hold the line on property taxes. The Commission has already agreed to keep the County’s portion of the millage rate for 2006 the same as it was in 2005. During the second half of the year, we will be examining each county program to determine which ones bring the most value to citizens, and reducing the budget for ineffective, unneeded, or outdated expenditures, so that we can fund key priorities, such as the County Detention Center expansion, and additional staff to help enforce the county’s zoning regulations and codes, a key part of Operation Broken Windows.

Finally, I pledged to foster a more open county government. I started monthly Meetings with Mike, where residents can visit me in my office without an appointment on Saturdays. The next Meetings with Mike is set for September 17th, and I invite you to join the more than 100 citizens that have come to talk about issues important to them. Beginning this fall, you will be able to watch Commission meetings live, both on the County’s cable TV channel, and over the Internet. This is yet another way residents can get a better sense of what their government is doing on their behalf.

These first six months have been a challenge – there’s no doubt about that. I am excited with what we have accomplished and I am confident that we will continue to be able to fulfill our goals to keep Gwinnett a great place to live.

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