Hobgood: 2017 Will Be Another "Year of Action" For Canton

Editor's note: the following is Canton Mayor Gene Hobgood's 2017 State of the City Address made during the Jan. 19 City Council meeting.

Since I gave the eighth State of the City last year, we have made another trip around the sun… And what a trip this past year has been!

I want to thank you for allowing me to make that lap with you as your mayor. I am humbled and honored to serve in this role, an honor afforded to only 59 individuals in the 183-year history of our city. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to serve the community that we all care about.

2016 proved to be a tough year in national politics. I know that many of us got really tired of the negative campaigning, name calling and divisive partisan politics. In 2016 we learned a lot about journalist and professional pollsters. Fortunately with city government, which is closest to the people, and as non-partisans, we don’t have the in-fighting between parties, which usually ends up with what is best for the party and not what is in the best interest of the citizens.

Well, I am happy to say we do things differently here in Canton. Thankfully this council is working hard to hear your concerns, work together to build the best Canton we can, and prepare for a future with you. Before I talk about the state of the city, I want to thank all those who have been a part of our progress in 2016.

I want to extend a special thank you to our elected City Council members. We have the best council today since my administration began nine years ago and I dare say, the best council in this city’s history. These members don’t just show up for meetings and then go home. They participate. They work to understand the issues and to find solutions to those issues. This council is the most involved and productive council in years.

I also want to thank our many citizens who serve on committees, authorities, boards and commissions. Our city could not operate without your input and involvement. Thank you as well to our countless volunteers who give unselfishly of their time and energy.

Without your help, our many city activities and event simply would not happen. I’d like to say thank you to our citizens for their input and understanding as your city undertakes very difficult issues and projects. Your input is vital in steering the ship in the direction you want your city to go. You have helped keep that hometown feeling about Canton as we continue to grow.

And thank you to our business community for continuing to grow with us and for putting your faith and confidence in this city. Your success is important to this city.

Finally, I want to thank our fine city staff and employees that keep our city moving forward on a daily basis. Our public safety staff, our public works crews and our City Hall administrative team work to meet every challenge with a willing heart and a customer friendly attitude. We have assembled a great team for our city, ready to serve in 2017. You are appreciated not only by this mayor and council, but by the citizens of Canton as well.

I want to extend a special recognition and appreciation to our city manager, Billy Peppers. He came to us without city manager experience, but hit the ground running and has served this city as a professional unequaled by any veteran city manager. He has certainly made my life easier and our city government better.

I am excited as your mayor to provide you with the state of the city tonight, because I have seen first-hand the growth in local excitement this past year and I am confident that 2017 will be another year of action for Canton.

When I think about the progress of our city, I think about that progress in two broad categories: economic sustainability and the quality of life. Let’s consider the current state of our city from that perspective.

First our economic progress: I am pleased to report to you that the city of Canton’s economic picture is one of positive growth and economic stability. Prior to this administration, the city of Canton had bold visions but little consideration for how to pay for these projects. In 2010, the combined debt of the city was $55.6 million.

Since then, we have added projects, but at the end of 2016 our combined debt was only $37.1 mllion or almost a third less than just six years ago, and getting lower every year. Our debt load per resident has been reduced some 40 percent from $2,400 per resident to approximately $1,400 per resident.

In just the last year we paid off debt from the renovation of the City Hall from 2006, as well as paying off debt obligations issued in 1996 and 1997 for sewer improvements. The golf course will be paid off this year as well.

It is easy to service debt when taxes are raised. I am happy to report again that this past budget year, the council reduced the millage rate again, lowering it to 5.6 mils, resulting in a total decrease in millage rate by 17.6 percent over the past three years. This reduction resulted in saving a homeowner with a market value of $175,000 some $17.50 on their tax bill.

Debt is far easier to incur than to eliminate. I am hopeful that as far as this city is concerned, backdoor general obligation bonds are a thing of the past. This type funding, used widely in our city’s past, ignores the input and desires of the citizens who have to pay the debt. This is the same type funding that recently created serious debt problems for Cherokee County.

In 2016 we saw our sales tax revenues increase by 4 percent and our hotel motel tax revenues increase by 22 percent. Our city’s general fund reserve will increase by approximately half a million dollars in 2016 over 2015. Additionally, our city utilities grew by 4 percent to over 9,500 active utility accounts.

Some of the benefits from the growing hotel/motel tax revenues in 2017 will be new community wi-fi in downtown Canton; lighting improvements at the historic Canton Theater and a city-wide marketing and branding project.

Much of our ability to reduce debt, cut taxes and complete importnat projects has come from economic growth and better financial management of our spending. Our City Council and staff continue to ensure our city stays solvent, remain proactive and is situated for future success.

There were 150 new business licenses issued in the city during 2016 up from 117 in 2015, a 28 percent increase. And Canton remains a great place to operate a business. Some of our newest businesses include: B. Little, Green Line Brewery, Ollie’s Bargain Barn and Quik Trip, just to mention a few. We also had many existing businesses celebrate notable anniversaries, including Chick-fil-A at Riverstone celebrating 20 years in Canton. We look forward to welcoming new businesses in 2017 with many of them locating downtown.

Additionally, some of our existing businesses are expanding. Piolax celebrated the grand opening of their new 82,000-square-f00t expansion here in our Canton-Cherokee Business & Industrial Park. This expansion alone created over 30 new jobs.

Northside Hospital is nearing its opening this May. This $286 million facility will bring over 300 new jobs to our city. This is an important project for our city as many hospitals are closing.

We expect to see medical office buildings and other businesses opening as this project progresses this year. The location of this new hospital will create an economic boom for our city and especially for the Canton Marketplace area between S.R. 20 and S.R. 140.

According to the Cherokee Office of Economic Development, our city’s population is projected to grow by 12% in the next five years. Our neighborhoods are rebounding in construction growth as people are choosing Canton for their next home. In 2016 the city issued 316 new single family residential building permits. The city provided almost 11,700 building inspections in 2016. The combination of new commercial and housing development has provided over $1.6 million in impact fees for capital projects in public safety, infrastructure improvements and recreation, up almost $1 million over 2015.

The Impact Fee fund will cover new backup firearms for our police department, new restrooms at Boling Park and Heritage Park as well as parking improvements at Heritage Park. Canton roads and other infrastructure improvements will also see a $1.5 million dedication from our Sales Tax fund.

Canton has continued to see growth from the film industry and as a result we have launched a first-ever media production permitting process. With over 32 projects filmed in the Canton area in 2016, we are feeling an impact from productions including: major motion pictures including "Hidden Figures" and "Hangman"; TV Series such as "If Loving You is Wrong," "The Future of Work and Living on the Edge"; and commercials for AT&T and Blue Cross Blue Shield to name a few.

Our Economic Development office is often in contact with production companies seeking areas for film-making with the beauty of our unique landscape and architecture. Speaking of Canton’s architecture, as part of our fire consolidation with Cherokee County, we now own the Jones Mercantile Building in the center of historic downtown Canton. We are currently working on possible uses for the property and will see exterior restorations in 2017 to bring back the historic character of the structure.

In the spirit of preserving our rich history while looking to the future, the city was awarded a $104,000 grant by the Atlanta Regional Commission for the creation of the Downtown Masterplan. This process started in 2015, developed a land and transportation plan for downtown, the historic mill and mill village and the Etowah River.

The plan was completed this past summer thanks to the input of hundreds of citizens. In 2015 we were able to trade the Board of Education nearly 15 acres at the Bluffs for 4 acres with two historic buildings in our downtown. In 2016 we sold this property to a developer for more than twice our investment, requiring that the two buildings be preserved, providing us with 125 parking spaces for free downtown parking and creating the potential to bring more activity downtown.

The state of our city's economic sustainibility is good.

The other area I would like to highlight tonight is the quality of life that Canton has to offer our residents and visitors. The allure of Canton has led us to be Honored as one of the most charming towns in Georgia according to a survey conducted by TravelMag.com, an online Travel Magazine. According to the article, factors that make Canton a great place to call home include our vision for recreation, our dedication to public safety, our commitment to hospitality and excellent educational system.

Speaking of parks and recreation, in 2016 we increased our recreational offerings to our community by adding activities such as kids t-ball and soccer, group fitness and yoga among others.

In 2016, we continued with our goal of completing and extending our trail system. We completed the trail connecting Etowah River Park and Heritage Park, creating a fantastic 5K route that many residents use daily.

We also received 45 acres of park land adjoining Etowah River Park from Cherokee County a part of the fire consolidation agreement. This land will allow the city to extend the trail from Etowah River Park easterly from the interstate at Exit 20 to the train trestle over the Etowah River. In October, cut the ribbon on new playground equipment at Brown Park. And this year, thanks to a $30,000 grant from the Resurgens Charitable Foundation, we will install playground equipment for children of all abilities at Etowah River Park.

On March 4 of this year, we will host our First Play in Canton Day at Etowah River Park. We will highlight a number of recreational activities; there will be music and food and we encourage families to bring their bikes and ride the trails in Etowah and Heritage Parks. We will be showcasing our parks and many of the recreational opportunities we offer here in Canton.

Our Canton Main Street Program, the host of many local events, is still going strong. In 2016 Main Street brought us events such as First Fridays, the Farmer’s Market, outdoor movies and the Art and Wine Walk, among other activities.

These events bring excitement to the city and revenue to our businesses. In the area of public safety, the city is truly blessed to have a Police Department focused on integrity in law enforcement while serving our families through community policing. Just some of the initiatives undertaken by our PD this year include numerous Coffee with a Cop events, Police in the Park Unity in Our Community 5K, caroling with the cop at Christmas and the production of a brochure and social mecia campaign explaining what someone should do and expect during a routine traffic stop.

This brochure was produced in both English and Spanish. The brochure was a result of a joint effort by our Unity in the Community group made up of local ministers, our police chief, our city manager and myself.

Our Police Department also answered some 28,305 calls for service in 2016 and our Municipal Court judge, Tom Roach, dealt with 4,162 citations and filings in 2016 and finished the year with over 4,300 dispositions.

I am so proud of our Police Department under the leadership of Chief (Mark) Mitchell. Most police departments have the slogan "To Serve & Protect." I am glad to say that our Police Department does both and does them well. some officers only want to deal with the bad guys, but our officers deal with the bad guys and help the good guys! It is not uncommon for a patrol officer to help a stranded motorist on the interstate, assist a senior citizen who has fallen and injured, give directions to a new comer or visitor to our city, speak to a class of young children at one of our local schools or give someone a ride home from a restaurant just to mention a few.

There is no better crime fighter than building a relationship with the community. And our Police Department does that well! Our city is so fortunate to have such a professional department.

As mentioned earlier, in 2016 we entered into a partnership with Cherokee County which became effective at the beginning of this month, for fire and emergency services to be fully provided by the county. As part of this arrangement, Cherokee County will take the lead on developing a fire station in the Laurel Canyon area to better serve our city.

The city’s decision to consolidate our fire department with that of Cherokee County was based on a thorough financial analysis and consideration of quality fire protection and emergency services. With aging equipment and the need for a number of fire stations over the next few years, consolidation provided a number of benefits. Taxpayers will save approximately $1 million per year over the next 6 years while seeing no change in fire service delivery. Senior homeowners will see no change in the current senior homestead exemption they receive for fire services.

Additionally, Canton Fire Department personnel were able to transfer employment at equal pay and rank to Cherokee County Fire and Emergency Services. Fire inspection and plan review will remain with the city.

As our city grows we must continually maintain and upgrade our infrastructure to meet demands. In 2016 we undertook the largest street rehabilitation project in the city’s history and paved almost 12 miles of streets. In 2017 we plan to pave 12 more miles of city streets again.

Another notable investment in our infrastructure is the $500,000 Water and Waste Water Master Plan our Council will be voting on tonight. This Master Plan will provide the city with the Guide to Water and Sewer services and facilities needed well into the future.

With regard to water a special note: With one of the hottest and driest summers on record, the city is still under a Level 2 Drought. However, we are now seeing gains in our water levels at Hickory Log Creek Reservoir. I want to thank our Citizens for their efforts in conserving water as the need for conservation continues.

With the recent mini-blizzard, we realized that our investments proved invaluable. With improvements to our brine delivery system and additional snow plows, the city was able to keep our streets cleaner and safer for travel. And I want to thank our city manager and all the Public Works staff for their tireless efforts during this event.

From an organizational standpoint, the city created and hired a new director for our new Communications and Outreach Department. Through our Communications Department we have increased our social media presence and increased our ability to promptly share city news with our Citizens.

2017 will see a new city website. This website will provide our residents, businesses and visitors the ability to access information about Canton quickly and easily. And will be funded fully through our rental car tax.

I predict that 2017 will be a year filled with excitement and potential because you have a mayor and council committed to working together for the best Canton possible! We will move forward with discussions to improve our water supply, our parks, our trails and our transportation system.

We will not only set the tone for how we are viewed in the region with a new brand and marketing strategy, but we will write our own narrative. And here’s how we plan to keep Canton moving forward.

This year we have the opportunity to take a 45,000-square-foot property in the middle of our downtown and make it into something beautiful for our city. This building will once again be the pinnacle of downtown Canton. The repurposing of this building will not only serve our residents, but will be an economic tool to attract those who appreciate the efforts and direction of this city, as well as the quality of life we all share .

There are those who believe that the Jones Building and similar historic buildings should just be torn down to make room for new construction.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation outlined 6 practical reasons to save old buildings. Included in this list is:

(1) Old buildings have intrinsic value (usually built with higher quality materials)

(2) When you tear down a building you never know what’s being destroyed. (old buildings can be repurposed into beautiful useful space)

(3) New businesses prefer old buildings (New buildings work for chain stores, but other businesses like bookstores, restaurants, pubs,etc thrive in old buildings)

(4) Old buildings attract people (People like the warmth of heart pine, brick and marble building materials).

(5) Older buildings are a reminder of the city’s culture and complexity (Provides a witness to the city’s aesthetic and cultural history – like our old courthouse)

(6) Regret goes only one way (There’s no chance to renovate or save an historic property once it’s gone)

These are all great reasons that it is important for us to restore and repurpose the Jones Building and other historic properties in our city. This is the year we take a hard look and develop a real plan for what we need to do for our children and grandchildren’s water, wastewater, and infrastructural needs and to ensure that growth and development can continue into the future.

This is the Year that we complete a new website and re-brand our city.

This is the year that we will work with Cherokee County to ensure there is a fire station located in and serving our downtown area. This Year we will continue with our long term debt reduction program. Debt reduction has been a goal of this administration since 2008 when we learned of the enormous debt we were facing. And we will continue to take the necessary steps of budgetary constraints and careful spending to Achieve success in this area.

This is the year that we will define those necessary projects that could be funded by a new SPLOST in preparation of an anticipated county referendum in November. Our projects selected will be those that meet the needs and desires of our citizens and help our city make infrastructure improvements. We will not just add projects just because we will have the potential money available. We should never look for ways to spend money, but rather look for ways to save money on our necessary projects.

The state of our city is improving each and every year, both from an economic standpoint and from the standpoint of quality of life. It continues to improve because we are flush with dreamers; dreamers who are willing to engage with the doers and complete the task at hand.

You are each a vital part in moving this city forward and creating the vision of our city, which will make our community better for another generation; keeping those qualities we endear, making changes as needed and implementing new ideas for a better city.

Theodore Roosevelt said, “Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work that is worth doing." I have been afforded that best prize in life. I hope that you will join me, your council and your city staff in 2017, in working hard at work worth doing in our city.

I am honored to serve as your mayor, to serve with this excellent council and staff and to work with you the citizens, to make 2017 the best year yet!

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