Johns Creek was recently named the best city to live in the country by US News & World Report and before that by Travel and Leisure magazine. In its write-up, US News noted that while Johns Creek may not be the cheapest place to live, it offers the best value. This important distinction is one that we should take great pride in.
My goal as mayor is for Johns Creek to have the best and smallest city government possible, i.e. delivering value. To me, this means ensuring our government is as efficient, effective, accountable and transparent as possible, while keeping taxes low without sacrificing our priorities – safety and quality of life.
I have worked to keep Johns Creek’s millage rate low. Today, we maintain the lowest millage rate of any city in Fulton County by far. This is intentional. I have always said that the government should have what it needs, but not everything it wants. By keeping our base millage rate low and putting the Performing Arts Center (PAC) referendum before the voters, residents can decide the potential value of a PAC to them and our community. Funding for the PAC is a big decision that warrants more than just a vote of the City Council.
It would be easy and certainly within our ability for the council, per the City Charter, to simply vote yes or no on the PAC ourselves. However, at the June 26 meeting, the City Council voted to authorize a bond referendum for potentially funding a PAC. If approved, a home in Johns Creek with the median-assessed value of $550,000 would pay an additional $83 in taxes each year…