Warner Robins Mayor LaRhonda Patrick talks 2024 goals, timeline for progress in the city
Changes coming to the city include the development of a commercial downtown, the opening of a homeless shelter and the appointment of a new fire chief, as well as industrial growth.
WARNER ROBINS, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – The International City is looking ahead to the new year with plans for future development and a growing economy.
2023 was a year of major milestones for the City of Warner Robins.
From a historic pay increase for city workers to the acquisition of property in the city’s downtown district, Warner Robins Mayor LaRhonda Patrick says she is looking ahead to building on the city’s momentum in 2024.
“So 2024 is going to be an exciting year,” Patrick said. “Every year of my term has been exciting to me, but this year in particular is going to take it up a notch because this is our year of execution.”
With Mayor Patrick entering her third year in office, she says this year is about making her campaign promises a reality.
One such promise is the opening of the first dedicated homeless shelter in the city this summer.
Last year, Warner Robins purchased a building dubbed the Haven Hope House to serve as the shelter. Plans to open it, however, were delayed due to mold inside the building.
“We’re actually doing renovations right now,” she said. “We were able to save a lot of taxpayer dollars just by having our crew go in and take those walls down, identify where the mold is coming from, so we can remediate that.”
With the arrival of a new packaging company later this year, which is expected to bring more than 100 jobs to the city later, as well as construction to begin on more than 3,000 multi-family homes, Patrick says 2024 is a year for growth and industry in Warner Robins.
She says her number one goal is making progress on the development of a commercial downtown for Warner Robins.
Currently, the city is working with the UGA College of Engineering on infrastructural blueprints for the district and will be hiring an architecture firm to come up with a design.
“We’re getting all those plans and the design of what our new downtown will look like,” she said. “Then, between me and council, we’ll also have a small community advisory board that will help us through that as well,” Patrick explained.
Patrick says she expects to unveil plans for the downtown Commercial Circle by the end of the year.
Other changes coming to the city include the appointment of a new fire chief and the inclusion of memorials honoring those who fought in the Vietnam and Gulf Wars.
She says there are even a few surprises in store for Warner Robins with innovation, education and community events.
“We have some things up our sleeves, we are doing some things different,” she said. “We’re making sure we put our city workers top of the list and also our constituents at the top of the list.”
Mayor Patrick says Warner Robins city government will soon be launching its new app and website to make communicating with residents easier. She says residents will soon be able to voice their concerns about what they hope to see from the city during Mayor Patrick’s midterm review.
