Mayor's Welcome

City Center Revitalization Our City is on the verge of creating for the first time a true downtown -- the heart of our community and a public gathering place. Throughout the past 24 months there have been numerous public input opportunities and our citizens have participated in formulating our City Center plans. You've learned of a number of actions taken by Council to move the creation of our City Center project forward. But, the plans that are now beginning to become a reality, did not originate 24 months ago. Many of these plans are nearly 20 years old.

Mayor Jerry Oberholtzer

Early ideas

As long ago as 1988, during the planning and construction of the Henry Clower Blvd., the City considered aligning it with Oak Road. Both State and County DOTs supported the concept of the road realignment, but private property acquisition concerns were the stumbling block. In 1992, the City Council initiated a Comprehensive Plan that considered the relocation of City Hall. Snellville United Methodist Church had inquired about purchasing the existing City property for expansion.

Also in the early 1990's, the City began to develop information that the current facilities were inadequate for long-term usage. In 2000, a subsequent report identified a number of deficiencies including rusted piping, non-standard restrooms, poor security, inadequately vented HVAC systems, extensive termite damage, water leaks, and, most embarrassing, lack of compliance with the City's building codes.

During this same time, Snellville United Methodist Church investigated the purchase of the now declining Oakland Village shopping center. Initially, the church planned to purchase the shopping center for their own use, but problems associated with crossing Hwy. 78 led the membership to reject that idea. Once rejected for their own use, church members approached the City about the possibility of a real estate swap and our City Center project is becoming a reality today.

Going Forward

The various component parts of our City Center project are coming together -- road realignment, senior center, city hall. Designs are complete for the creation of City Center Drive and Gwinnett County has provided funding through the 2001 SPLOST program. This first phase of creating our City Center should begin within months and has a working budget of approximately $300,000.

The City recently participated in a ceremonial groundbreaking for our new Senior Center. Again, Gwinnett County through the Community Development Block Grant program is providing substantial funding, $500,000, of the estimated $1.5 million currently allocated to this phase of our City Center.

The initial concepts for City Hall are complete and Precision Planning Inc. is formulating actual construction documents and budgetary information. Estimates on this phase of our City Center are just under $6 million. Council will consider the use of Certificates of Participation -- lease-purchase financing for this portion of our City Center project.

This is an exciting time for Snellville. All Members of Council and City Staff are fast at work on the many positive projects designed to meet our citizen's current and future needs.

Putting costs into perspective

Some have voiced concern over the nearly $6 million price tag of the new City Hall and the City's consideration of lease-purchase financing over a period of 20 years. Some have suggested that taxes may have to be raised to pay for this project. 

These same concerns were voiced three years ago with our "Free Trash" proposal. Some said incorporating the cost of the program within the City's operating budget would either bankrupt the City or cause taxes to increase. In actuality, we have cut taxes each year since the implementation of the "Free Trash" program and maintained our surplus funds too.

As a comparison, the property tax millage rate equivalent of our "Free Trash" program is 1.39 mills. The property tax millage rate equivalent of the proposed City Hall is only .75 mills. Our new City Hall is almost half as expensive as residential trash collection!

Some have made the point that the City will pay almost $10 million over the 20 year term of the City Hall financing program. I'd point out that $10 million over the 20 year term is less than 4.5% of the nearly $225 million in operating expenditures the City will make over the same period.

Thanks again for your continued interest and support of Snellville. If I may ever be of service to you, please contact me at:

Telephone: (770) 985-3500
Fax: (770) 985-3525
Email: Joberholtzer@snellville.org

Thanks for allowing me to serve as your Mayor,

 Jerry Oberholtzer, Mayor