CorinthHills.org

By Camie Young
Senior Writer
Gwinnett Daily Post

LAWRENCEVILLE - For months, Gwinnett residents have complained about commissioners’ decision to build a minor league baseball stadium without consulting with them.

On Tuesday, a Rome man sent an official complaint to the grand jury.

George Anderson of the Ethics and Government Group sent in a 17-page complaint with hundreds of documents outlining what he sees as problems with the stadium deal, which was announced last year.

“What bothers me and bothers several citizens of Gwinnett County … is they have had no say,” in the $5 million land purchase, $33 million bond package for construction and the $19 million in upgrades. “(Commissioners) have left the public on the sidelines.”

Anderson said the deal, negotiated by then Gwinnett Convention and Visitors Bureau Board Chairman Richard Tucker and his son Lee Tucker, the bureau’s attorney, and included land purchased from brothers Bartow and Brand Morgan, who own a community bank, is a sign of a “good ol’ boy clique.”

As a Floyd County native, Anderson offered as a contrast the sales tax referendum officials held to decide if the Braves Single-A team moved to Rome, which allowed the stadium to be paid off before the first pitch was thrown.

In his complaint, which could be considered by the grand jury over the next six months, Anderson also brought up ties between Commissioner Kevin Kenerly and developer D.G. Jenkins which first surfaced before Kenerly’s re-election in 2006. He also questioned the involvement of the Gwinnett Place and Gwinnett Village community improvement districts in last year’s referendum over tax allocation districts.

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Gwinnett County adopted its 2009 budget on March 3. This replaces an interim budget commissioners approved in January. At $951.2 million, the operating budget is 3.5 percent higher than Chairman Bannister’s original budget of $919.2 million. The interim budget, which the County has been operating under as the final budget was being developed, was $890.5 million. With capital improvements now set at $759.1 million, the total budget comes to $1.71 billion.

“This budget maintains our emphasis on public safety and efficient operations while providing long-term financial stability,” County Administrator Jock Connell said. The final plan adds 172 new jobs over 2008 numbers, mostly in police and fire. It also cuts 108 other positions, netting 64 added positions. The Board held a public hearing on the proposed budget last week.

In January, the Board wanted to finish its service-value-responsibility (SVR) efficiency study and see how federal recovery spending might affect the County. That study resulted in almost $40 million worth of initiatives - including cost reductions and revenue enhancements - that are incorporated in the new budget. Nearly 100 adjustments include everything from not replacing vehicles to reducing pool hours to dropping the annual Gwinnett Glows July 4 celebration. The new budget also calls for increases in business occupation tax, ambulance service fees and planning and development fees.

“I’m pleased that we were able to provide funding for new police and firefighters,” Board Chairman Bannister said, “although we’re reducing funds for many of the human services agencies we help support.” The additional fire resources are a step toward the County’s goal of reducing response time from 7.5 minutes to five minutes to help lower insurance premiums for property owners.

• 2009 Budget Summary (PDF file)
• “Other” Budgeted Items (PDF file)
• Service-Value-Responsibility (SVR) List (PDF file)

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