GwinnettViews
What are your feelings Gwinnett?
Did anyone get hit by that blinding flash of the obvious?
Nov 26th
GDP Arcticle by Camie Young: Study: Officials nix annual retreat
Higher taxes or no higher taxes doesn’t matter. This is just a blinding flash of the obvious. How difficult to figure out that this is not what is needed? Duh….
And more on the Trash Fiasco
Oct 22nd
GDP Arcticle by Camie Young: Study: Extend trash pick-up throughout county
Despite an outcry from residents, consultants recommend county officials make trash pick-up mandatory for residents of the unincorporated area.The study, which commenced after a judge threw out a solid waste management plan last year, also produced a recommendation that the county be divided into districts and the number of trash haulers be limited.
But Abby Goldsmith of R.W. Beck told commissioners Tuesday that they could choose more than one hauler per district, addressing the concerns of people who wanted the freedom to choose their garbage hauler while cutting down garbage trucks on the road and carts in the streets.
So what is the end message here? When you only talk to hand full of people you don’t really care what they think. Is the message delivered to the County a message that is tailored to the people paying the bills? How can the County not have any opinion at this point? After the Blue Ribbon Committee, after the consultants, after all the noise from the citizens then what are they listening to and hearing? Come on BOC you were elected to make decisions and lately you are awful at that. Please try to get something correct here and do what is best for the citizens of Gwinnett.
More on the Gwinnett Trash fiasco
Oct 21st
Well isn’t it a great surprise that the trash consultant gave the county the exact info they wanted to hear. They surveyed a whopping 328 people out of 180,000 ( .001822%) and most of these people
wanted it to remain the same. I still have a problem with the county placing this on a water or tax bill if it is a independent company performing the services, law states a government may not collect a debt for a private company, the only way this can appear on a county bill is if they create an authority or trash department.
I encourage everyone to visit www.whatawastegwinnett.com and get involved. These folks have a petition going as well.
We are still posting info at GwinnettViews on happenings in Gwinnett County, please join us there.
I encourage all to write to their respective BOC member and let them know what you desire..
Thanks,
Don
R.W. Beck gives initial Trash report to county officials
Oct 20th
AJC Article by Patrick Fox: Gwinnett solid waste study results unveiled
Gwinnett County officials received their first look a the Trash study done by RW Beck today.
The study results showed there was enough support to recommend required garbage collection at all residences. It did allow for exemptions, however, such as business owners with their own Dumpsters.But there was a wide range of differences about other issues, such as establishing exclusive franchise districts and billing on property tax statements. Much of the polling data differed between those who attended the public forums and those who were randomly selected by computer.
More to come once the full study is released.
Commissioner Kenerly going out with a bang!
Oct 7th
WSB Radio Article: Gwinnett Tax Hike Possible
GDP Article by Camie Young: Tax increase back on table: Kenerly calls for new county plan
A property tax increase is back on the table for county residents, as a commissioner said service cuts to balance the budget have been too severe.During Tuesday’s board meeting, Commissioner Kevin Kenerly called for county staff to devise a plan that would cost taxpayers an average of $14 more a month – or about two additional mills.
So Gwinnett here we go again. Commissioner Kenerly wants all of us to step up and sacrifice in the name of safety? Where is the money going to go? What will it be spent on? Safety in law enforcement where its needed or more library hours? Give us the details so the citizens can understand and have the knowledge that’s needed to know what’s going on.
“Bold action is needed to keep Gwinnett County a preferred place to live, work and raise a family. I would ask the Gwinnett families to sacrifice with me.”
Now is the time AGAIN to make sure your voices are heard. Demand to know the details of Mr. Kenerly’s proposal.
Trash Report due out in October… Who got called?
Aug 20th
AJC Article by Patrick Fox: Solid waste plan report due in Oct.
The firm hired to draw up a study for Gwinnett County’s solid waste plan told officials Tuesday the report should be completed by mid-October.
So we have to wait until October to see what the consultants are going to recommend. I find it interesting it that it takes that long to compile feed back from 600+ people when the majority of those said they wanted their own choice. So who was one of the 328 that were contact by phone? Would love to hear from you.
At a special briefing held at the courthouse in Lawrenceville, Abby Goldsmith of the consulting firm R.W. Beck reported it had collected opinions from about 650 people. Of that number, 330 had registered opinions at one of the eight public forums held this summer. Another 328 had been contacted by phone or e-mail.
Open hearings on the Property Tax Increase at GJAC today at 4:30 and 6:15 and June 2.
May 26th
Commissioners hold millage rate public hearings
OPEN LETTER TO GWINNETT TAXPAYERS MAY 22, 2009
As mayor of Suwanee, I can attest firsthand that local governments are profoundly affected by these challenging economic times. I can also promise that the Suwanee City Council is doing everything in its power to hold the line on taxes.
People are hurting. Many have lost jobs or taken pay cuts. Businesses are facing unprecedented challenges. Nonprofits are trying to survive. Everyone seems to be doing whatever they can keep costs down. Well, not everyone.
Earlier this week, our Gwinnett County Commissioners announced their plan to raise your property taxes by more than 25 percent – 30 percent if you live in a city – so they can expand their 2009 budget by about 10 percent over their 2008 budget. We don’t have the exact figures because they still won’t publish the budget they adopted March 3.
You see, even though we’re nearly halfway into the fiscal year, without their budget document, the public is being kept in the dark. Our commissioners are ballooning county government in the worst economy anyone can remember.
Forty-three million of this enormous $87 million property tax increase isn’t even planned to be spent in 2009 – they’re socking it away in something called “working capital reserve.” Our commissioners have decided it’s better to overtax you and hoard those dollars than for you to pay your mortgage, health care or for your kids’ education.
Under the guise of public safety, our commissioners have hatched a curious plan to hire 170 more officers to start patrolling inside cities that are already policed effectively by the cities. This wasteful and dangerous duplication will require another $17 to 20 million of your money in new taxes – can’t know for certain without the budget. Sheriff Butch Conway calls their scheme a “terrible mistake.”
Growing the size of government in these economic times is exactly the wrong thing for any elected body. It’s quite obvious that our commissioners are oblivious to the reality that the rest of us face. We’re cutting back, yet they’re expanding their county largesse and sending us the bill. And it’s going to be a whopper.
State law requires our commissioners hold three public hearings at the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center before they set these new tax rates. Two are scheduled for Tuesday, the day after Memorial Day. The third is June 2, after which the county will vote on the new tax rate.
I plan to attend all of them, and hope you will, too.
Have we learned anything from the county’s recent “trash plan” episode? This time, will we make our voices heard to our elected commissioners before they take action on this outrageous tax hike?
If not, brace yourself for a doozie of a county tax bill.
Dave Williams, Mayor
City of Suwanee, GA
Seattle, WA Consulting Firm to get $131,000 to study trash in Gwinnett
Apr 21st
AJC Article by Patrick Fox: Gwinnett plans solid waste study
Gwinnett County commissioners approved a $131,000 study to redraw the county’s failed solid waste ordinance — a measure that generated a firestorm of protests and a rash of lawsuits last year.The action follows a series of meetings held by a citizens panel to collect public input and make a proposal that would increase residential collection, encourage recycling and possibly reduce truck traffic in neighborhoods…
R.W. Beck is expected to make its recommendations based on a set of tasks:
• Review past, current and enjoined ordinances.
• Establish criteria based on counties with comparable populations and demographics.
• Conduct a series of public forums and surveys to gauge community priorities.
Gwinnett Commission Chairman Charles Bannister said the commission has not discussed the issue in detail, but he expects the board to focus on state mandates and the judge’s objections when a new ordinance is crafted.
Good thing they haven’t discussed it in detail especially since they think they need to spend 131k to make a plan. Does that money come from the rainy day fund or petty cash? Goes to show the MBSCT was nothing more than a pretty show.
No decisions yet on the Trash Plan. County may defer any decision for this year.
Mar 15th
So what does this mean? Since I read the article yesterday I went back and forth on my thoughts. Maybe they are taking their time to get it right. Then I laughed at that thought because of how bad the Old-New Plan was screwed up. Maybe they have have no idea where to go next. Seems plausible especially if you have no real new ideas and the Old-New Plan was screwed up. Maybe they are still trying to figure out how to spin all the other great ideas lately like the stadium and the new budget and the raise in water rates and they just don’t have time for this and of course they really know that the Old-New Plan was screwed up. So maybe they defer and delay and maybe people’s anger and concern will be directed in another direction like the stadium and the budget which in all honesty we can do nothing about. We have heard here on this site “it’s just trash what’s the big deal.” The big deal is the way our county is being run. The big deal is the decisions that are being made just don’t make sense. The big deal is the county thinks they know what is best for the citizens and from the things they have done lately do you really think that is true? The big deal is the erosion of my choices. Today it’s trash what’s next?
Let’s revisit the last meeting of the MBSCT:
What we need to think about is who knows better what is best for us at the end of the day? The BOC? Really? When the MBSCT was created we asked more than once for them to be sanctioned. However, after attending the last meeting of the MBSCT I am pretty sure I don’t want this group to be speaking for me. I had high hopes for this committee that they would come away from these meetings listening to the public and come up with ideas that would make sense and be some ideas that the BOC could agree was in the best interest of the people who live here Gwinnnett County.
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My only issue with this one is that this is one more thing the government is mandating like we don’t know that picking up trash is important. Most of us are going to have trash service whether the BOC tells us to or not because we don’t want the trash to stay at our house. I am sure I am naive in thinking most people want trash service whether at their home or their business because they want their trash picked up. I really find it hard to believe that because someone does not have trash service that automatically makes them an illegal trash dumper. Again I am probably naive but I hope we live in a better county than that.
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Where is the free choice of the residents in this? Again to hear the MBSCT say we need to go to a “One Hauler One Neighborhood” sounds great in theory but who is getting to choose the hauler. Not the residents. Yes I am happy the local businesses get the opportunity to bid again and stay in business but if I were them I would be wary of this approach as any. Why? Because what’s to stop them from getting undercut on their bid by bigger companies with more resources. What’s to stop one company from having more than area? What will that do to service? According to Commissioner Beaudreau having a SLA (Service Level Agreement) will keep performance high. What will keep the service at a high level is my ability to fire someone if I don’t like their service. Seems to me a business listens a lot better when you hit their pocketbook than if you hit their customer service line. I heard more than one trash hauler say this in the meeting. The ones that were there have no problem being held to that standard. For most that’s how they got where they are today
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This is how you stop illegal dumping? Nope, sorry but if you think making something mandatory that the majority of the people use anyway is going to stop illegal dumping then you are losing it. The people who dump illegally won’t give a rip and will continue to do what they do. If you really want to stop illegal dumping then get serious about stopping the people who do it. Don’t interject the government more in our life and punish us because the majority of the county do what we are supposed to and a small percentage don’t.
The findings of the MBSCT were supposed to be presented today. In the end it will be interesting to see what their findings end up being. Will things change? There was nothing on the agenda for the working session of the BOC. Where will the county go and what decisions will the make at the end of the 120 days?
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