When Macon-Bibb County civic leaders meet, The Macon Newsroom is likely in the room. As is our tradition, we close out the year’s reporting with what we’ve learned to expect in 2026. The conclusion of this “26 for 2026” five-part series will publish January 1.
17 Georgia governor’s race in midterm election
Campaign ads will flood the airwaves once again as Georgia elects a new governor, state office holders and U.S. Congressional leaders on Nov. 3.
That also is the date Bibb County voters could decide whether to approve property tax breaks for senior citizens.
Republican Gov. Brian Kemp is completing his second and final term which will result in a large field of candidates from both parties.
Qualifying for the 2026 election cycle runs from March 2 to March 6.
Parties will choose their candidates in the General Primary on May 19, with advance voting from April 27 to May 15. April 20 is the last day to register to vote in the primary. If a runoff is needed, it will be June 16.
Oct. 5 is the last day to register to vote in the General Election with early voting running from Oct. 13 to Oct. 30.
If needed, the General Election Runoff would be Dec. 1. (This story was updated to correct the end date for advanced voting in the General Primary.)
18 World Cup mania for Macon?
With eight FIFA World Cup 2026 matches set for Atlanta, Macon could become a host city for one of the teams in the summer.
Macon-Bibb County, Visit Macon and Mercer University already had a test run in June of 2025 during the FIFA Club World Cup when LAFC trained on Mercer’s newly renovated soccer field and stayed at the Marriott City Center Hotel.
“It’s a rare opportunity to welcome one of the world’s top clubs to our campus and showcase all that our university and community have to offer,” Mercer Deputy Athletics Director Daniel Tate said last summer. “We’re proud to be part of such a global event and excited for what this moment means for Middle Georgia.”
In November 2024, Macon made FIFA’s Team Base Camp brochure that gives soccer organizations from all over the world approved locations to stay as they train and compete.
Four dozen teams will be traveling to North America from all over the world for matches in 16 cities: Atlanta, Miami, Boston, East Rutherford, NJ, Philadelphia, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, San Francisco Bay area, Seattle, Mexico City, Zapopan, Guadalupe, Vancouver and Toronto.
With 49 base camps for 48 teams, Macon has a good chance of landing a team playing in Atlanta between June 15 and July 15.
During June’s Group Stage matches, Spain, Cabo Verde, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Haiti and Uzbekistan are scheduled to play in Atlanta. Depending on the outcome of European and Intercontinental playoffs, Atlanta could also host Czechia, Denmark, N. Macedonia, Ireland, Congo DR, Jamaica or New Caledonia.
Visit Macon will be marketing to World Cup guests to lure them to see all the community has to offer while they are in Georgia.
19 New trash cans, litter awareness campaign
Once the Leadership Macon Class of 2025 learned excess litter was the reason one of the county’s major industries almost did not locate here, they decided to do something about the trash problem.
As its signature initiative, the class raised tens of thousands of dollars to purchase new downtown trash cans for high-traffic areas, and promote anti-litter campaigns in the schools.
With plans for a national park on the horizon, the Leadership Macon Class decided to teach youngsters to be “Guardians of the Ground” by not littering, and to encourage others to place rubbish in appropriate containers.
The goal is to raise up to $100,000 to buy 39 cans emblazoned with inspirational slogans and sponsor logos, and pay for all other phases of the project.
Dec. 9, class members told the board of the Downtown Macon Business Improvement District that they already have enough donations collected for 13 new trash bins on Poplar Street, and will be working to raise more funds to complete Cherry and Mulberry streets.
The BID agreed to be a Legacy Guardian and founding member with a $5,000 donation to the cause.
Look for details on a launch event in the coming months with an opportunity for the public to pledge to keep the community clean and promote civic pride.
Each year through the Greater Macon Chamber of Commerce, a class of local leaders undergo a yearlong training to increase awareness about the role of government, private sector and non-profits as they gain a greater understanding about the challenges the community faces.
20 Blight Tax, Code Enforcement increase
Delinquent owners of dilapidated property will be paying more in taxes to Macon-Bibb County beginning in 2026.
In October, county commissioners increased the blight tax to 15 times the millage rate, up from a multiplier of seven that was enacted in 2019.
The increased tax rate that takes effect only applies to commercial properties and vacant residential structures. The additional revenue is reinvested in the blight mitigation program.
Once improvements have been made and the property comes off the blight list, the owner could see a 50% reduction in property taxes. Work totaling more than $75,000 could be eligible for four years of reduced taxes.
Macon-Bibb County also plans to increase its Code Enforcement division to extend hours later into the evening and eventually cover additional shifts on weekends.
County Commissioners recently approved renovations in the old Internal Affairs Office of the Macon Police Department for Code Enforcement.
21 Macon-Bibb County’s new website
Look for enhancements to Macon-Bibb County’s website in 2026.
Macon-Bibb’s IT Department began soliciting public input in recent weeks as they redesign the consolidated government’s website. The county is inviting feedback as they work on the new design.
“We want to know what people think about how well the current site works, how they use it, what information they look for, and how it ca be improved,” GIS Manager Barbara Marlin said in a news release about the survey.
Currently, maconbibb.us provides information about all the county departments, open bids for services, county programs, job openings and links to partner agencies and organizations.
“This is part of our ongoing efforts to incorporate more effective use of technology in how we provide services and information to people, and in our information age, our website should be the first place people go for anything related to their consolidate government,” Macon-Bibb County Manager Keith Moffett said in the release.
— 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.
