As a member of the Georgia Municipal Association’s board and Legislative Policy Committee, Macon-Bibb County Mayor Lester Miller will be watching the Georgia General Assembly carefully as it approaches Crossover Day – the last day this session for a bill to pass one legislative body to be considered by the other.
Bills that have not cleared either the House or Senate by March 6 have no shot at passing this year.
Miller is monitoring any effort that might adversely affect counties. (21:35 into video)
“Some of that’s been along the lines of tort reform. Some of it’s been the nuisance we talked about with the homeless encampments. Some of it’s been the tax bills, like the House Bill 92. Some of it’s been municipal city tort reform as well on House Bill 132,” Miller said during the February Ask Mayor Miller program.
As the second mayor of Macon-Bibb County’s consolidated government who is in his second term in office, Miller said he does not keep up with proposed local legislation to allow for a third mayoral to match the three-term limit for county commissioners.
“If it happens, it happens. If it don’t, it don’t. I just know that it’s been sent to the legislators and we’ll see if they drop a bill or not this year. But we are just going to keep working as usual,” Miller said.
If given the opportunity, he would run again.
“I’ve always said that I’d rather be mayor than anything else, but if that door closes, I’m sure there would be another one open at the state level,” he said.
The interview program also delved into the topics of economic development, property tax relief, SPLOST renewal, transportation improvements, unhoused people camping in public spaces,(12:05), litter concerns and Lake Tobesofkee glamping, which will be the topic of planned public meetings likely to come as soon as the end of March. (14:52)
Miller explained his rationale for the county opting out of a new floating homestead property tax exemption in favor of a localized exemption for senior citizens. (0:37)
“Macon Bibb County can offer an additional, perhaps a $10,000 or $15,000 or even more, extra exemption for those that are 65 years older, which will give them a substantial property tax. So it allows us to do a better tax, more directed at those that we believe needs it, may live on a fixed income. So I think that’s a better way to go,” Miller said.
Macon-Bibb County is projected to lose up to $13 million under the state’s new exemption which is designed to cap property tax increases to the rate of inflation, he has said.
HB 581 allows for levying another sales tax to make up the difference, but Macon-Bibb already has an O-LOST, Other Local Sales Tax, and is ineligible to add another to the existing penny SPLOST, which is up for renewal with early voting underway for the March 18 election.
“As a consolidated government, it doesn’t offer very much tax relief for the citizens, nor does it offer any benefit for the government,” he said.
He’s considering that senior citizen exemption for 2026.
Renewing the SPLOST helps protect property owners from future tax increases as that extra $450 million over 10 years will allow the county to continue to upgrade public safety vehicles and equipment and tackle long-desired road repairs. (3:51)
“We’re so many decades behind on repairing roads, and the only way to truly do that outside of raising property taxes, is to do a sales tax,” he said.
The county touts a better working relationship with GDOT in recent years and Miller believes once the interstate interchange is complete they will see movement on other important projects such as the Bass Road widening, planned roundabouts on Mercer University Drive and Eisenhower Parkway at Interstate 75, and revisiting widening the rest of Forest Hill Road. (4:50)
“We make sure that we keep each other abreast of things that’s going on and what our needs are in the community,” he said.
Economic development on the horizon
Miller is particularly grateful for GDOT’s support of the major renovations at Middle Georgia Regional Airport that includes the runway extension, new executive terminal, hangars and air traffic control tower.
Miller is taking a cautious wait-and-see approach to the federal Department of Government Efficiency and any local effects from planned cuts in spending and personnel. (7:52)
He also does not think DOGE will affect designating the Ocmulgee Mounds as Georgia’s first national park. (8:50)
“I think we’ve done everything we can do. Just keep pushing forward and I thinking 2025 is going to be a great year,” he said.
The East Bank project has concluded its public input phase, but he believes the county is in good shape marketing those 20 acres near Interstate 16 and what could become a new entrance to the park.
“We’ve got a lot more things happening behind the scenes that we’ll announce in the near future,” Miller said.
Downtown Macon development plans also are progressing such as the recent announcement that Mercer University will build its new School of Medicine on several acres in the 800 block of Riverside Drive, which will complement Miller’s plans for a convention center hotel at the corner of First Street on the site of the high-rise hotel that was demolished New Year’s Day.
Requests for proposals in the design phase of that project are pending, he said.
NewTown Macon and the Urban Development Authority also are working on plans for the old health club and office building at First and Cherry streets. (10:26)
The county has been shifting rights of way in some places downtown, but Miller said it’s not always easy or prudent to close alleys, in response to Andrea Matthews’ concerns about people camping in the alley in her neighborhood.
Miller encouraged Matthews to contact her county commissioner if she wants to help better her community.
Shirley Williams also emailed her concerns about trash on the roadways (18:30), and the mayor encouraged everyone to get involved in being a part of the solution and adopt a stretch of highway to keep clean or organize neighborhood efforts.
“We’re getting tired of just cleaning up right of ways all the time with trash just to have people throw it right back down. It’s a waste of good money that could be used for other services there. And you know, a lot of people have to step up to the plate and do some things,” he said.
He encouraged those interested in serving Macon-Bibb County to get in touch with local leaders to find out what opportunities there are to be engaged in bettering the community. (17:45)
Send questions for the next Ask Mayor Miller to mercerccj@gmail.com.
— Civic Journalism Senior Fellow Liz Fabian covers Macon-Bibb County government entities for The Macon Newsroom and can be reached at fabian_lj@mercer.edu or 478-301-2976.
