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SNELLVILLE — Mayor and Council approved a millage rate of 4.00 mills Monday, a rate lower than last year’s, meaning many Snellville residents will see a decrease in property taxes this year.

It was a priority of Mayor and Council to do what they could to counter an increase in property taxes following the county’s reassessment of homes in the city, City Manager Butch Sanders said. The current millage rate is 4.588 mills.

“We all understand the financial impact of the reassessment,” said Mayor Barbara Bender. “Even though we are glad to see our housing values increasing, we wanted to help offset the cost of the rising assessments.”

The median house value in Snellville is about $298,000, according to city officials. Based on the new millage, a house with that value will actually see a $70 savings in property taxes this year from $543 to $473.

Mayor and Council recently approved the city’s FY’23 balanced budget of $14.69 million. Taxes collected from this millage is the largest revenue source the city has and are necessary to balance the new budget.  

Overall digest growth to $3.2 billion included many new development additions along with the state-mandated property reassessments.

SNELLVILLE — After 29 years of outstanding and dedicated service to the residents of Snellville, Public Works Director Gaye Johnson is retiring Aug. 1.

“It’s been an honor to work for the City of Snellville and a privilege,” she said at her retirement party Tuesday. “The people I’ve met throughout the years and I’ve worked with and for are awesome people. I could not have made it all these years without the support of everybody. It takes a team and a family and Snellville really is a family. I just hope everyone has the good luck to work as many years I’ve got to work in Snellville. Thank you all for caring about me, loving me and making my job as easy as it can be.”

At Monday night’s council meeting, she was honored with a proclamation and a key to the city for her dedication to her job and Snellville.

Johnson was hired as Public Works director on July 4, 1993 and created a family atmosphere within her team, achieving great results from their positive work place. Under her leadership. Johnson improved all of the city’s public services, be it sanitation, recycling, stormwater or landscaping, earning the department numerous awards and statewide accolades.

Johnson was instrumental in creating a stormwater management service, starting from scratch, which now ably serves the city’s residential and commercial properties.

“I, Barbara Bender, Mayor of the City of Snellville do hereby join with our City Council, all employees, and the Citizens of Snellville, who Gaye has faithfully served, to express our appreciation and gratitude for the service rendered to the City of Snellville for the past 29 years,” the proclamation reads.

Craig Barton, who has worked 15 years for Snellville Public Works, and was most recently promoted to assistant director last year, will now lead the department.

Johnson taught Barton a valuable lesson early in his career. “We are here more than we are at home, so we are like a family,” she told him.

“Gaye Johnson has been such an amazing director, mentor, friend and, most of all, like family,” Barton said. “I think the most important value she has taught me is understanding we are a family and caring for your staff and department will make your department successful.”

Barton said he and his staff will continue “to do our very best to provide Public Works services for citizens of Snellville.”

“I look forward to all the exciting changes in the development downtown with The Grove at Towne Center as well as being proactive with our stormwater and resurfacing infrastructure projects,” Barton said. “Mostly I look forward to filling the big shoes and legacy Gaye successfully leaves behind.”

The City of Snellville has tentatively adopted a 2022 millage rate which will require an increase in 
property taxes 5.65 % percent.
All concerned citizens are invited to the public hearing on this tax increase to be held at Snellville City 
Hall, 2342 Oak Road, Snellville, GA 30078 on Monday, July 11, 2022 at 7:30 p.m. 
Times and places of additional public hearings on this tax increase are at Snellville City Hall on Monday, 
July 25, 2022 at 11:30 a.m. and Monday, July 25, 2022 at 7:00 p.m.
This tentative increase will result in a millage rate of 4.00 mills, an increase of 0.214 mills over the 
rollback rate, but no actual millage rate increase from last year.  Without this tentative tax increase, the 
millage rate would be no more than the rollback rate 3.786 mills.  The proposed tax increase for a home 
with fair market value of $314,661 is approximately $26.94 and the proposed tax increase for non-
homestead property with a fair market value of $467,150 is approximately $39.99.

SNELLVILLE - Mayor Barbara Bender and the Snellville City Council are hosting a public information open house for the proposed Pinehurst Road and Skyland Drive sidewalk projects.

The Mayor and Council have prioritized new sidewalk construction in recent budget approvals to provide residents an attractive amenity which raises property values and increases pedestrian safety.

The meeting will take place at 6:30 p.m., July 11 in the City Hall Community Room, 2342 Oak Road.

The proposed project calls for sidewalk improvements on the north side of Skyland Drive from just south of the intersection of Skyland Drive and Eldorado Place where sidewalk currently ends to the intersection of Skyland Drive and Rockdale Circle. Improvements are also proposed at the north side of Pinehurst Road from just south of the intersection of Pinehurst and North roads where sidewalk currently ends to the existing sidewalk near the entrance into Saddle Brook subdivision.

The project will be funded through Special Local Option Sales Taxes.

The construction of the sidewalks will have minor impacts on the land parcels, city officials said. The sidewalks and drainage improvements will be accomplished within existing right-of-way. Temporary construction and driveway easements will be obtained from parcels as needed.

The anticipated impacts will be as follows:

• Driveway reconstruction and coordination with owner for access as concrete work occurs sidewalks and drainage improvements will be accomplished within existing right-of-way.
• Replace concrete/block/stone mailboxes with wooden mailboxes.
• Removal of trees and landscaping within the county right-of-way including the areas.

This open house is not a formal meeting. It is a "cafeteria style" meeting during which those attending can meet with elected officials, city staff and the project’s consulting engineer/designer face-to-face to ask questions regarding the project.

Construction could begin in November of 2023. Another public meeting is slated to take place in September this year.

For more information on the project call Project Manager Lawrence Kaiser at 404-909-5619 or Snellville City Manager Butch Sanders at 770-985-3500.

For the 21st consecutive year, Snellville was named a 2021 Tree City USA by the Arbor Day Foundation to honor the city’s commitment to effective urban forest management.

“We are proud to once again receive this important designation,” said Planning and Development Director Jason Thompson. “We are dedicated to preserving the trees we have and working with developers and business owners to keep our tree population abundant and thriving when new development projects arise.”

Snellville achieved Tree City USA recognition by meeting the program's four requirements: forming a tree board or department, creating a tree-care ordinance, having an annual community forestry budget of at least $2 per capita, and an Arbor Day observance and proclamation. The Tree City USA program is sponsored by the Arbor Day Foundation, in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service and the National Association of State Foresters.

"Tree City USA communities benefit from the positive effects that an urban tree canopy has year after year," said Dan Lambe, chief executive of the Arbor Day Foundation. "The trees being planted and cared for by Snellville ensure that generations to come will enjoy a better quality of life. Additionally, participation in this program helps cultivate a sense of stewardship and pride for the trees the community plants and cares for."

Planting trees in an urban space comes with a myriad of benefits past the recognition of this program. Urban tree plantings help reduce energy consumption by up to 25%, which will reduce general energy costs and help with the overall cooling of the city as well. In addition, members of the community benefit from properly placed trees as they increase property values from 7-20%. Trees also positively affect the local ecosystem by helping to clean water and create animal habitats to encourage biodiversity.

More information on the program is available at arborday.org/TreeCityUSA

CUTLINE: From left are Snellville Planning and Zoning Department Zoning Administrator John Dennis and Administrative Assistant Nelie Wilson.

About the Arbor-Day Foundation

Founded in 1972, the Arbor Day Foundation has grown to become the largest nonprofit membership organization dedicated to planting trees, with more than one million members, supporters and valued partners. Since 1972, almost 500 million Arbor Day Foundation trees have been planted in neighborhoods: communities, cities and forests throughout the world. Our vision is to lead toward a world where trees are used to solve issues critical to survival.

As one of the world's largest operating conservation foundations, the Arbor Day Foundation, through its members, partners and programs, educates and engages stakeholders and communities across the globe to involve themselves in its mission of planting, nurturing and celebrating trees. More information is available at arbordav.org.

Mayor and Council approved a plan from Manor Lake Development, LLC for a retirement community at the intersection of South Crestview Drive and Highway 78.

The 70,000-square-foot, one‐story  facility will have an 87 unit/bed assisted living with memory care facility and 32‐unit independent living cottages in 8‐villa buildings on a 13.28± acre site.

The development abuts a new, 55-and-up townhome development.

The City of Snellville will receive sealed bids to construct a restaurant as part of The Grove at 
Towne Center development. The Hall at The Grove is a two-story, 17,200 square-foot unique 
restaurant with event space on the second floor. The project will be funded with bond funds.  

Visit our Bid Page for more information.

As construction continues on Phase I in The Grove at Towne Center, the City of Snellville and the Downtown Development Authority, are excited to announce the addition of Northside Hospital to The Grove. In a transaction that closed at the end of May, Northside Hospital will occupy two buildings in Phase II of Snellville’s new City Center. 

The Northside Hospital buildings will include physician offices, an ambulatory surgery center, urgent care and other Northside outpatient services that will cater to the residents of Snellville as well as The Grove's growing community. Construction of the Northside buildings is anticipated to start immediately and open in the Second Quarter 2023. Phase I of the $100 million project commenced construction in March 2021, and residential units will begin leasing later this year.

“Northside has an outstanding reputation for the care and treatment of their patients, and we are delighted to add them to The Grove at Towne Center where they will help serve the members of our community for years to come,” said Snellville Mayor Barbara Bender.

“Adding Northside to our longstanding, excellent Piedmont Eastside facilities, will make Snellville a premium healthcare destination,” said City Manager Butch Sanders.

The city’s development partner Kirk Demetrops, founder of MidCity Real Estate, spoke about the new partnership, “We always wanted Phase II to further strengthen the unique mix that makes a town center so special, Northside is the perfect fit. The Grove soon will have nine buildings under construction, delivering a city center long sought after by the city and community.”

“Northside Hospital is committed to strengthening health care resources in the Gwinnett region,” said Debbie Mitcham, president and CEO of Northside Hospital in Gwinnett and Duluth. “We look forward to this new partnership, which will continue Northside’s high quality of care for our patients in their own community.”

Once completed The Grove at Towne Center, will include over 275 luxury residential units, 50,000 square feet of retail space (including a special use Market Building), 50,000 SF of medical office, the new Gwinnett County Elizabeth H. Williams Library with second floor co-working space and a 750 parking-space parking deck, all surrounding The Grove, a one-acre town green space.

For more information and updates on the Grove at Towne Center project visit www.snellville.org/the-towne-center-snellville.  

ABOUT CASTO

CASTO, a fully integrated real estate organization since 1926, is a recognized leader in the ownership, management, acquisition and development of multifamily residences, mix-use properties, commercial shopping centers and office buildings. CASTO’s growing portfolio currently includes more than 26 million square feet of commercial property and more than 5,000 residential units located throughout the midwestern and southeastern United States. CASTO is headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, and serves a variety of clients from five offices in Florida, North Carolina, and Ohio. To learn more about CASTO, visit www.castoinfo.com.  

ABOUT MidCity Real Estate Partners

Founded in 2009, Atlanta based MidCity Real Estate Partners acquires, repositions, and develops office, retail, and mixed-use properties. MidCity is known in the Atlanta market for several corporate headquarters and master developer of Alpharetta City Center, a public-private town center and award winner of ULI’s Excellence of Town Center Development, ULI’s People’s Choice of Public Realm and Atlanta Regional Commissions Development of Excellence. Through MidCity Realty Corporation, an affiliate real estate brokerage company, MidCity offers a full range of advisory services. MidCity is the successor company to The Griffin Company, a 35-year-old full service commercial real estate development and construction company headquartered in Atlanta, GA. To learn more about MidCity, visit www.midcitypartners.com.

ABOUT SNELLVILLE

Snellville’s convenient Gwinnett County location, approximately 18 miles east of Atlanta and 45 miles west of Athens, has allowed it to prosper as a hub of commerce and retail in Northeast Georgia. Snellville's roots extend to 19th century London when two friends traveled to America and later started Snellville’s rich history of commerce with stores of their own. Snellville is home to the award-winning Snellville Farmers’ Market, a world class Veterans Memorial and one of the most decorated police departments in the state. Snellville is known for its dedicated volunteers and its celebrated diversity.

ABOUT NORTHSIDE

The Northside Hospital health care system is one of Georgia’s leading health care providers with five acute-care hospitals in Atlanta, Canton, Cumming, Duluth and Lawrenceville and more than 250 outpatient locations across the state. Northside Hospital leads the U.S. in newborn deliveries and is among the state’s top providers of cancer care, sports medicine, cardiovascular and surgical services. For more information, visit: northside.com.

SNELLVILLE – A proposed balanced budget of $14.69 million was unveiled Monday, one city officials say will be funded without a millage increase. The millage rate will be set by mayor and council in early July.

Increases in this year’s budget include:

• $385,000 in Community Development Block Grant expenditures and revenue remains in this budget from last year. This will fund the city’s Greenway, connecting to Briscoe Park.

• A new police dispatch shortfall of $168,726 will be covered due to a change in the service agreement with Gwinnett County.

• Gas, utilities and supply costs are up across the board due to inflation.

• The Parks and Recreation Department is now back to pre-COVID activity levels so program costs have increased.

• Very positive changes to police salaries were made to increase job retention and hiring

  competitiveness.

The city is once again showing its commitment to improving roads and infrastructure, budgeting $1.15 million for road resurfacing and $1.28 million for stormwater improvements.

The Mayor and City Council will consider adoption of the FY ’23 budget at 7:30 p.m., June 13 in the Council Chambers of Snellville City Hall, 2342 Oak Road, Snellville, Georgia.

The proposed budget can be viewed at: https://www.snellville.org/administration/budget-finance