Macon-Bibb County celebrates economic development, history at State of the Community Luncheon

The annual State of the Community Luncheon highlighted Macon-Bibb County’s efforts to improve commerce, infrastructure and public safety.

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Mayor Lester Miller highlighted economic development and history preservation during Tuesday’s State of the Community luncheon at the Macon City Auditorium.

The mayor discussed the positive impact of the Other Local Option Sales Tax (OLOST) and the one penny rollback on property taxes for Bibb County citizens.

Macon-Bibb County’s efforts to improve commerce, infrastructure and public safety have seen significant success in the past year, with the city generating $900,000 from hotel motel tax revenue alone.

Jessica Walden, President and CEO of the Greater Macon Chamber of Commerce, explained the impact of visitor spending.

“The consumer expenditures from visitors alone is staggering when you think about the money here is being reinvested into everything from the mom and pop business to our public infrastructure,” Walden said.

Mayor Miller also addressed public safety improvements, mentioning the Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s Gang Task Force relocating to Macon and the city’s $40 million incentive plan for law enforcement employee retention.

“We’ve hired about 70 officers I believe since November, both part time and full time,” Mayor Miller said. “Those are encouraging signs.”

The State of the Community event also recognized Macon’s 200-year history and the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, who once inhabited the land that is now Macon-Bibb.

Mayor Miller expressed excitement about the community’s engagement in business, culture, and civic development.

“A lot of communities are starting to take notice of Macon-Bibb County and we’re excited about that, and we got a lot more to build upon this next year,” Miller said.