City of Macon
Macon Earns Highest Recognition for Accounting & Financial Reporting
The City of Macon has been recognized by the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) for excellence in governmental accounting and financial reporting. The City’s Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) for fiscal year 2012 has been awarded a Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting.
In the award letter, GFOA states this “is the highest form of recognition in governmental accounting and financial reporting, and its attainment represents a significant accomplishment by a government and its management.”
“I want to congratulate and thank our budgeting and finance team for their hard work and dedication to improving the City’s finances,” says Mayor Robert Reichert. “We have had some difficult years, yet we have been able to increase our fund balance to a healthier position and our audits continue to improve. We’ve come a long way in a few years as we strive to be good stewards of the public’s money and trust.”
Public Works Summer Hours
The City of Macon Public Works Department will begin its summer schedule on Monday, July 1, 2013. The purpose of the change is to protect the safety of Public Works employees working in elevated temperatures.
Hours for the summer will be 6:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Trucks may be at a residence for solid waste collections as early as 6:15 a.m., Monday through Thursday. When there is a Monday holiday, solid waste collections will be one day behind for the week. There will be no waste collections on July 4, 2013. Instead, that day’s service will be provided on Friday, July 5.
The work schedule will return to its regular schedule of 7:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, September 3, 2013.
Emergency Responders Train for Disaster Situation at Airport
The Middle Georgia Regional Airport will host a disaster scenario training with emergency response agencies from the central Georgia area on June 13 beginning at 10:00 a.m. A coordinated disaster training is held annually, and this year the agencies and organizations will practice their response to an improvised explosive device (IED). Last year, the airport hosted a plane crash scenario.
Agencies have met for several weeks to discuss each group’s responsibilities, expertise, needs and resources; details of the scenario and potential situations that could arise in similar situations. The scenario will include a simulated IED detonation in the airport terminal, a lockdown of the airport, a sweep for additional devices, victim assistance, transportation to area hospitals, and more. Approximately 125 people from the partner agencies will actively participate in this scenario, and almost 100 volunteers will serve as simulated victims.
Main Street Matters Contest
Macon has been confirmed as a candidate for the Benjamin Moore Main Street Matters contest, putting us in the running to receive a facelift along an entire block of the city. Twenty cities across America will be chosen, and the selection is made based on online votes. Our Main Street Macon program submitted the block of Second Street from Cherry to Poplar as a way to supplement the SPLOST funds that will be used on the vision block as part of the Corridor’s redevelopment.
Attached is the official Benjamin Moore press release with more details about the national program. What’s really important, though, is how you can help.
We need you to go to www.paintwhatmatters.com and vote for Macon every day through June 30. We also would greatly appreciate if you would share this information with friends, family, and colleagues via email, word of mouth, and social media.
Thank you for your support as continue to seek ways to improve our city.
SPLOST Financial Statement (May 2013)
In this posting, the public can view the City of Macon’s SPLOST financial statement for Fiscal Year 2013 through the end of May. In the past few months, the City has taken steps on some exciting projects, including:
- the first installation of 800MHz radios in Macon Police Department vehicles;
- receiving bids for design services and construction manager at risk for the Second Street Downtown Corridor;
- the completion of the New & Pine Streets intersection near the Medical Center of Central Georgia;
- approving design work for the Log Cabin Road improvements;
- approval of the company to pave identified asphalt streets throughout the City;
- work beginning on the Twin Pines, Upper River Road, and Woodland Drive intersection; and
- installation of a new irrigation system, new equipment, an acre of sod, and snack bar remodeling at Bowden Golf Course.
Moving forward, we know you’ll be excited to see the work on roads and drainage systems begin, work on the Tubman African American Museum and Fort Hawkins begin, continued rollout of the 800MHz radios and completion of the entire system, further improvements at Rose Hill Cemetery, and the design and construction work begin on the Second Street Downtown Corridor.
FY 14 WIA Funding Limitations (July 1, 2013 – June 30, 2014)
FY 14 WIA Funding Limitations (July 1, 2013 – June 30, 2014)
June 3, 2013
To: Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Potential Applicants
Re: FY 14 WIA Funding Limitations (July 1, 2013 – June 30, 2014)
Due to the sequestration, our organization has experienced a reduction in funds awarded to Macon–Bibb County WIB, Area 10. The decrease in the amount of funds, along with the scheduled release of these funds to our agency will affect our ability to enroll new Adult students in need of occupational skills training. We will continue to take all applications and consider enrollment of students who are only in need of intensive services. Enrollment requiring occupational skills training will be placed on hold for a tentative period of six (6) months: May 1, 2013 – October 31, 2013.
Mayor Reichert Proposes Balanced Budget for Fiscal Year 2014
Macon Mayor Robert Reichert proposed to City Council a balanced budget for Fiscal Year 2014 (FY14), which is the period July 1, 2013 to June 30, 2014. He made this presentation at a Special Called Meeting of City Council on Tuesday, May 14. The meeting was open to the public and can be viewed at www.maconbibb.tv. The presentation and proposed budget can be viewed by clicking on the link below.
The proposed, balanced FY14 was developed after many weeks of dedicated effort by Department Heads and staff, and it was done with the pending consolidation in mind and guided by our Strategic Plan and within the B.E.S.T. framework.
The general fund budget is 2.6% less than the previous year’s approved budget and 7.4% less than FY2012. The millage rate is being proposed to remain the same at 9.7 mils. Despite the reduced general fund, we are still able to provide services to our community and support projects and initiatives to improve our neighborhoods. Funding is included for:
- Macon-Bibb County Consolidation
- Additional firefighters for new stations
- 100 hardwood trees
- Greener Macon initiatives, including litter pickup and the Gateway Project
- Ongoing housing demolition
- 5x5 Program
The full proposed budget can be viewed here
Mayor Reichert Proposes Balanced Budget for Fiscal Year 2014
Macon Mayor Robert Reichert will propose to City Council a balanced budget for Fiscal Year 2014 (FY14), which is the period from Jul0y 1, 2013 to June 30, 2014. He will make this presentation at a Special Called Meeting of City Council on Tuesday, May 14, beginning at 5:00 p.m. This meeting is open to the public and will be streamed live online at www.maconbibb.tv. The presentation and proposed budget will be available to the public beginning Wednesday, May 15.
The proposed FY14 budget was developed after many weeks of dedicated effort by Department Heads and staff, and it was done with the pending consolidation in mind and guided by our Strategic Plan and within the B.E.S.T. framework.
The general fund budget is 2.6% less than last fiscal year and 7.4% less than FY2012. The millage rate is proposed to remain the same at 9.7 mils. Despite the reduced general fund, the City is still able to provide services to our community and support projects and initiatives to improve our neighborhoods. Funding is included for:
- Macon-Bibb County Consolidation
- Additional firefighters for new stations
- 100 hardwood trees
- Greener Macon initiatives, including litter pickup and the Gateway Project
- Ongoing housing demolition
- 5x5 Program
Budgetary Impact of Consolidation
This is an historic budget for the City of Macon as it will be the last budget for a government that has existed since 1823. In January 2014, the new, consolidated Macon-Bibb County will begin serving our community as a municipal and county government. With that transition in mind, the City has prepared half of the budget for the current government and the other half for the new government. Revenues are calculated for the entire FY14, but expenditures are calculated in six month halves. The first six months are prepared in detail, but the second six months are reflected as a single line item so the new Macon-Bibb County government will have the discretion to build a new financial structure. The University of Georgia’s Carl Vinson Institute of Government will be assisting the the City and County in compiling the full first 6 months budget of the new government.
Strategic Plan
With pending consolidation of city and county governments, the administration of the City of Macon developed a Strategic Plan for the remaining months to focus on three competing – but complimentary – areas through January 2014.
Macon Increases Public Engagement Through SeeClickFix
The City of Macon has added service requests for the Central Services Department to the SeeClickFix program. Now, people can use their smart phone, internet connection, and even Facebook to report issues with lighting, street painting, and traffic signals and signs.
“We want to provide a more direct connection between the citizens of Macon and the departments serving them and their needs,” says City of Macon Mayor Robert Reichert. “With SeeClickFix, we are also providing people the ability to track the progress of their service request, as well as those in their neighborhood.
Completion of Road Improvement Project Celebrated
The City of Macon and the Medical Center of Central Georgia will celebrate the completion of the New & Pine Streets Improvement Project with a ceremonial ribbon cutting on Tuesday, May 7, at 10:00 a.m. The ceremony will be held at the intersection of New and Pine Streets in the Medical Center’s Emergency Center turnaround.* Featured guests and speakers at the event will include Macon Mayor Robert Reichert, Medical Center of Central Georgia Dr. Ninfa Saunders, Macon City Council Public Properties Chair Rick Hutto, SPLOST Advisory Committee Chair Dan Slagle, and other officials.
'Need for Speed' Filming on I-75 South on Thursday, April 25
The Georgia Department of Transportation has approved the request by the ‘Need for Speed’ production crew to film on I-75 South from the 75/16 split to the Mercer University Drive exit on Thursday, April 25. In order to do this, a rolling road block will be used, meaning officers will slow traffic behind the filming of that scene, and this is anticipate to being mid to late morning. This filming is in addition to the previously announced locations, road closures, and intermittent closures; those can be viewed by day by clicking here: http://cityofmacon.net/node/21925.
'Need for Speed' Filming Road Closures
Beginning April 24, 2013, crews for the upcoming ‘Need for Speed’ movie will begin filming in parts of Macon. There will be road closures and detours throughout the filming, and the City of Macon has posted maps of those closings by day on its website.
“It’s exciting that we are again a location for the filming of a movie. We’re told that we are a prime spot for filming scenes that could be anywhere in the country,” says Macon Mayor Robert Reichert. “This filming, though, means several days of road closures and detours due to the nature of the movie. I want to urge people to drive carefully in these areas throughout the filming.”
Macon-Bibb Consolidation Update - 4.13.2013
The most recent update from the Macon-Bibb County Consolidation Transition Task Force features Finance and Facilities Committee meetings, as well as recent media coverage and a schedule of meetings for the week of April 15.
These updates are being provided as part of a collaborative effort by the Transition Task Force, City of Macon, Bibb County, and the Middle Georgia Regional Commission to help better inform you of this historic process to create a new, consolidated Macon-Bibb County.
SPLOST Funds Used to Improve Intersection in East Macon
Road work in East Macon funded by the Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) will begin on Monday, April 8, meaning road closures and detours. The construction will be to realign the intersection of Upper River Road, Twin Pines Drive, and Woodland Drive and is estimated to take three to four weeks to complete.
Upper River Road will remain open during the construction, but the intersection will be closed to thru traffic for Twin Pines Drive. To get onto Twin Pines from Upper River Road, or onto Upper River Road from Twin Pines, drivers will take Lincoln Road and Lincoln Circle.Signs will be placed designating the detour.
City of Macon March SPLOST Financial Statement
The City of Macon is publishing its March financial statement for its portion of the Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax in an ongoing effort to ensure the community can see how the penny tax they approved is being spent. The statement may be viewed by going to the City-County joint SPLOST website at www.splost.info or by clicking on the link below.
Recently, City Council approved the implementation plan for the Second Street Downtown Corridor – which details the steps to be taken to revitalize and redevelop our community from East Macon, through Downtown, and on past Mercer University Boulevard.
The Master Plan, implementation plan presentation, and first study identifying the Corridor can be found on the joint City-County SPLOST website by clicking here, http://splost.info/ProjectViewer.aspx?ID=9.
CDBG Week Highlights Local Organizations & Services
The City of Macon’s Economic and Community Development (ECD) Department is recognizing National Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Week, April 1-6, as a way to raise awareness of the local agencies receiving funding to work directly with our families and citizens and improve our neighborhoods and community.
“Community Development Block Grants are used to fund projects addressing challenges specific to our neighborhoods, and to make essential services available to those who most need them,” says Katherine Buchman, CDBG Program Specialist. “These include homelessness intervention, youth mentoring programs, support for victims of domestic violence, family counseling, home improvement for the elderly and disabled, home-ownership counseling, and financial-planning workshops, among other important services.”
Macon-Bibb County Consolidation Update (March 26)
As part of the Macon-Bibb County Consolidation Transition Task Force’s efforts to inform the community of the work being done to build a new government and opportunities for people to provide feedback, the City of Macon and Bibb County are working with the Middle Georgia Regional Commission (MGRC) to provide you with regular updates.
The Task Force met last week, and to view the full update click on the link below.
'Need for Speed' to film in Macon
The Macon Film Commission is pleased to announce that part of principal photography for the feature film “Need for Speed” will be shot in Macon. The DreamWorks Studios film is an adaptation of the highly popular video game of the same name and is to be directed by Scott Waugh, who directed “Act of Valor” in 2012. At this time the cast includes actors Aaron Paul (“Breaking Bad”), Dominic Cooper (“Captain America”), Imogen Poots (“Fright Night”) and Michael Keaton (“Batman”). An estimated 200 cast and crew members will come to Macon as part of this production, which will begin shooting in Macon in mid-April 2013.
Location scouts have been working with the Macon Film Commission for several months to secure shoot locations for this “high octane” film in the downtown Macon area. Macon has once again shown that it is an outstanding option for filmmakers.
“Macon and our entire region continues to attract interest for movies, television shows, and commercials, and we are excited to be one of the locations for the filming of ‘Need for Speed,’” said Macon Mayor Robert Reichert. “With more and more production crews working here, our reputation as a great place to film is spreading.”
Macon-Bibb County Consolidation Update (March 12)
As part of the Macon-Bibb County Consolidation Transition Task Force’s efforts to inform the community of the work being done to build a new government and opportunities for people to provide feedback, the City of Macon and Bibb County are working with the Middle Georgia Regional Commission (MGRC) to provide you with regular updates.
Request For Proposal (RFP) - Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Youth Services
Request For Proposal (RFP)
Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Youth Services
In School Youth (ages 16-18) and Out of School Youth (ages 19-21)