Despite the federal shutdown, it’s “business as usual” in Macon-Bibb County, Mayor Lester Miller said during the October taping of Ask Mayor Miller that included discussions on data centers, (14:45 into video), legislative issues, (15:40), Macon Water Authority rate increases, (11:09), local development projects, (3:49), and upgrades at the Middle Georgia Regional Airport. (1:30)
For the time being, the county will continue paying an average of $400,000 in monthly federal flight subsidies for Contour Airlines, although the timing of reimbursement is uncertain. (0:10)
“For right now, we’ll take the federal IOU. I’m not worried about getting reimbursed. It will happen in due time,” Miller said. “Macon-Bibb County, we’re solid.”
After this month’s groundbreaking for the airport’s new executive terminal, the new guitar-shaped building with 70% of its lumber coming from Georgia is expected to open in January of 2027. (1:47)
Work is ongoing to extend the main runway from 6,500 feet to 7,100 feet, but Miller doesn’t want to stop there.
“I’m already starting to work on some diagrams for the future runway after that. So right now, we’re going to go to a certain amount of feet, and then we hope to go to plan B, which is an additional amount of feet that may require building a bridge or building something out there as well,” Miller said.
To lengthen the runway to 8000-8500 feet, the county will have to build a bridge across Avondale Mill Road.
“Progress is one of those things that we look forward to, but it does come with its challenges, and we’re ready to take those challenges,” Miller said.
Macon-Bibb expects to break ground next summer on the new arena project after tapping PBK architects to work with MFA, a Memphis-based project management firm. (3:49)
Replacing antiquated facilities like the Macon Coliseum will give the county a competitive edge to draw attractions and events that generate money for the local economy, he said.
“We’ve got some real concerns about losing events and, you know, yearly things that we have there with GHSA (Georgia High School Association) and otherwise. So we have to address those problems. A lot of taxes come through there, a lot of economic impact. But more importantly, a lot of small businesses are propped up with events that happen there. Without a new arena, those small businesses would go away, which means jobs go away, which means people’s standard of living would go away,” Miller said.
Macon-Bibb desires to expand its sports marketing (4:45) and is consulting the Bibb County School System to make sure its needs for graduations and large gatherings are met in the new facility.
The county is studying whether the existing Coliseum and Wilson Convention Center can be repurposed or should be demolished. (6:33) Miller also plans a new convention center hotel complex across the Ocmulgee River between Second, First and Walnut streets and Riverside Drive.
East Bank, Mid-City and Rosa Parks squares
On the potential East Bank development site along Coliseum Drive, the Georgia Secretary of State’s offices will be relocating and that building is expected to be demolished, but no other updates were available, he said. (7:20)
“When the national park gets in the news, people are calling and ringing the phone off the hook. And then whenever it’s not in the news, people kind of take a back seat,” Miller said.
Developers have expressed interest in building restaurants, and the county sees great potential for housing, retail and lodging should Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park become Georgia’s first national Park.
Miller expects updates in the coming months on the so-called “Mid-City Square” development area near Second and Pine streets where Atrium Health Navicent and other entities are in the planning stages. (8:31) The county also will soon share its plans for the old Macon Health Club.
“We can start having more conversations about what that may look like in a couple years, right across from Rosa Parks Square, that looks beautiful today as well as the other development we’ve got going on there at City Hall,” Miller said.
In the coming weeks, a ribbon-cutting ceremony is pending at Rosa Parks Square where the county also plans to honor the sacrifice of the late Rodney Davis, a Congressional Medal of Honor recipient who died saving others in the Vietnam War. (9:30) His memorial marker in the park was moved for safe-keeping during construction.
Mayoral third term, more sales tax?
With all the projects on the horizon, Miller believes there’s support from the community to allow three terms for a mayor, which is the current term limit for commissioners. (15:40) Ultimately, it’s the local legislative delegation that must approve a charter change. They did not act on it last session, but could take it up next year.
Miller noted the state lawmakers themselves don’t have term limits, and he questions the fairness of commissioners getting three terms and the fulltime mayor only two.
“Some early polling has shown that people believe a third term is something that we should have here in Macon, because it gives you time to finish projects. Gives you time to work with everybody,” Miller said.
The mayor said he has “no real thoughts” to share on the Macon Water Authority approving its budget but not a rate increase despite tens of millions of dollars of capital expenditures on the horizon. (11:09)
“I try to stay in my lane, as far as their rates are concerned, because they know all the information that we don’t know,” he said.
Miller did comment on State Sen. David Lucas’ suggestion to use a Municipal Option Sales Tax to raise funds for water, sewer and stormwater infrastructure, instead of raising rates. (11:35)
“They can’t do that in Macon-Bibb County unless they change the law,” he said. “Macon-Bibb County only gets two local sales taxes for our division. We have the O-LOST and SPLOST already. To have a MOST, you’d have to get rid of one of those, and I don’t think anybody wants to put 100% tax increase on them for one of those to disappear.”
One of Miller’s main legislative priorities is to have the local delegation call for a referendum on Macon-Bibb County’s plan to increase property tax exemptions for owners aged 65 and up, and property taxes being eliminated for those at least 85 years old. (16:15)
MWA, data centers, politics
Lucas and former EMA Director Don Druitt have both suggested legislatively restructuring the Macon Water Authority and removing one of the county’s two elected representatives that serve on the board. (13:55)
“I don’t get up every day wondering about how many appointments I get. Whatever the law says I’m going to have, I’m going to have,” Miller said. “I know we have to work together in a partnership.”
Understanding that data centers are a big draw on water and power utilities, Miller said he’s met with the governor’s team and other elected officials on how to handle those major developments. (14:46)
“They’re coming to Georgia. They’re going to regulate them,” he said. “Unfortunately, I think they’re taking advantage of smaller places that are not very well developed, that need the money. And it’s a nice little carrot that they dangle in front of you. I would never be comfortable putting it in Macon while I’m here unless it’s in a commercial area, not near any residential areas.”
With the Georgia governor’s race and legislative seats on the 2026 ballot, Miller does not expect many controversial issues to be solved, or that it will be a lengthy session. (15:50)
“You’ve got to believe they want to raise some money to get elected, and they can’t do that while everything is going on. So you’ll see a bunch of bills, probably not a whole lot of things passing this year,” Miller said.
He also explained how political action committees allow higher contributions to candidates than private donors. (18:27)
Ahead of the last elections cycle, Miller and others organized the Advance Alliance of Georgia Action in 2023 to make political contributions, which resulted in a complaint filed with the State Ethics Commission.
“We reached out to people connected with the ethics board in the very beginning, asked them if we could do this. They said, ‘Yes, you can do this if you don’t have a controlling interest’ (in the organization),” Miller said.
While Miller and his attorney defined controlling interest as 50% plus one, the state defines it as 25% or more of voting rights or profit interest, so Miller recently paid a $5,000 fine from campaign funds to settle the matter and avoid further legal costs.
Send questions for the next Ask Mayor Miller to [email protected].
— Civic Journalism Senior Fellow Liz Fabian covers Macon-Bibb County government entities for The Macon Newsroom and can be reached at [email protected] or 478-301-2976.
