Macon Magazine

JG: YOU'RE ELIMINATING THE SOLID WASTE DEPARTMENT. HOW WILL YOU ABSORB IT? MAYOR: Eliminating that department will help us financially, and we'll quit losing money at the landfill, which is closing this year. We can't afford to maintain 20 trash trucks, so we'll have to surplus them and outsource garbage pickup and debris. It's subject to commission approval, but solid waste employees can work in the convenience centers I mentioned. We're consistently short employees in Public Works and in Parks and Recreation. We need 18 people in those departments and have 36 employees in Solid Waste. We'll lose some employees through attrition, absorb some in other departments and will fill-in where needed. The Macon Water Authority takes over storm water in 2021 and starts charging us for it in 2022. They may pay more than we do, and potentially, we'll lose employees. But this will enable us to have what I call strike teams to handle illegal dumping, increase grass cutting and maintain the gateways that need attention. We want to be fully staffed for the first time since consolidation to supply the services we're supposed to provide for tax payers. We're going to save money, but we'll spend money on things like mental health and homelessness. The homeless can't be helped with drug abuse or a job until they have a place to live. Update: On Jan. 4, Mayor Miller announced the opening of a "warming center" in the former Brookdale Elementary School after two homeless men in Macon froze to death on Christmas day. Miller organized the project with 18 local partners in a mere five days. WORKING WITH THE COMMISSION JG: YOU'VE MENTIONED RESOLUTIONS, ORDINANCES AND PERSONNEL CHANGES, BUT WILL THE COMMISSION SUPPORT YOUR INTENDED CHANGES AND AGENDA? MAYOR: I never would have run for mayor if I didn't think I could get the support of the commission. I will have an open-door policy, and if they have questions, I want them to call or come by to discuss it. I'm a hands- on person and will communicate or overcommunicate with each commissioner to give them all the information and answers they need before our meetings. On the school board, I learned that you don't bring something to public discussion without knowing the outcome. I won't violate a meeting or sunshine law, but there should be a general consensus about whether something will pass. And I won't bring anything to the commission until I have five or six votes. I want nine votes every time, but I'm going to count to five (majority) and then we'll discuss changes. I hope to build consensus, but realize that commissioners must cater to their own constituents and we won't always agree. But if we're locked in a tie, I want to know why someone can't support it and we'll work to make a change to get a majority. If we act foolish, we'll rile up our constituents and they'll act foolish, too. If we treat each other with respect, which we should do whether or not we agree with someone's position, for the most part we'll get respect in return, which avoids hurt feelings, grandstanding, off- the-cuff remarks and one-upmanship. New and returning commissioners want to be in the majority because they want to do great things for their district. Both sides must be willing to make that happen. JG: HOW DOES THE NEW COMMITTEE STRUCTURE WORK? MAYOR: The new commission elected new District 5 Commissioner Seth Clark mayor pro-tem. We're doing away with the old committee structure and now all commissioners can attend all committee meetings, a much more transparent and efficient way to conduct business. CONSOLIDATION JG: YOUR PREDECESSOR, FORMER MAYOR ROBERT REICHERT, TOLD ME IN AN EXIT INTERVIEW FOR THIS MAGAZINE THAT CONSOLIDATION WAS THE BEST THING WE'VE EVER DONE. IS THAT YOUR ASSESSMENT? MAYOR: Consolidation was necessary and I was a supporter, but it was a little rushed. It's easy to Monday morning quarterback, but we were allotted a certain period of time to get down to the amounts for the tax portion and we should have taken that time. It may have seemed equitable, but it put us in a financial bind. I see the benefits of franchise fees and the reduction in the duplication of services, but we still have a city versus county mentality among employees and departments. There are city and county pensions, and some people got a better deal. It's a work in progress. I'm looking forward to making a few changes, but not overwhelmingly. JG: HOW DO YOU ADDRESS THE CRITICISM THAT CITY SERVICES HAVE "IF WE TREAT EACH OTHER WITH RESPECT, WHICH WE SHOULD DO WHETHER OR NOT WE AGREE WITH SOMEONE'S POSITION, FOR THE MOST PART WE'LL GET RESPECT IN RETURN." -MAYOR MILLER 38 maconmagazine.com | FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021

• Cover