Issue link: http://maconmagazine.uberflip.com/i/1506754
going to do a lot more roads, which will make a big impact. When I got here, I said, let's keep the promises and carry out the wishes of the people who voted for us. They were worried about our killing projects, so I made a list of all the projects to make sure we did them. We took care of the Mattie Hubbard [Park] project right away. And of course, we're proud of everything at the mall, and the Cliffview Lake project on Houston Avenue. JG: What's the Cliffview Lake Project? Mayor Miller: It's a lake on Houston Road. Former Mayor Jack Ellis put it in the SPLOST. It was passed years ago but was never done. I said we were going to finish it, and it will open this summer. We're also going to buy a lot of houses around it and get the land bank involved. We'll loan money at low interest rates to build affordable houses there, and when people sign up for American Rescue Plan funds, we'll match with banks and foundations. Across the street from Cliffview we're putting First Choice Primary Care in a new facility. We gave them money for a pharmacy and a pediatrician, and a place for blood pressure checks. We probably spent over a million dollars in demolitions in that area around Houston Avenue. BRANDING MACON JG: Macon has been on a roll the past two years, with impressive national coverage from the likes of the New York Times, Forbes, and Conde Nast. Mayor Miller: When I took office two years ago, I talked about having a Macon brand, not a logo, but everyone being on one page. We know how to use the algorithms and we're creating our own narrative. We're not dependent on the media. If it bleeds, it leads. They get paid for negative clicks, and we're drowning out a lot of the negative stuff that sells. People ask, how can you be one of the best places to live? Because we are. We've brought in over 660 new jobs and over $600 million in private investment for the industrial corridor last year, one of the best in our history. While the state's sales tax is going down, ours has continued to climb. Macon had the best March ever in sales tax. Our sales tax usually averages year $20-30 million, but this year we'll hit $40 million. A large part of that is what Gary Wheat and Visit Macon is doing for tourism. The more sales tax we collect, the cheaper our taxes. NEXT STEPS JG: So, what's next on your ambitious agenda? Mayor Miller: We're on warp speed. Now, I have a Top 18 List, 18 projects I'm pretty confident will happen but haven't even been announced yet. But we're going to get all those things done. NOTE: Mayor displays a yellow pad with a handwritten list of 18 "To Do" items. JG: How will you accomplish such an enormous To-Do List? Mayor Miller: I hope I'll have five- and-a-half years, the rest of this term and another one. They say it takes 7-8 years to build an amphitheater but we we're doing it in around 18 months. We've done a lot of things quickly because we have a great team. Everyone's on the same page and people are trusting the vision. As long as we can keep doing that, we'll be fine. The inaugural Mayor's Sneaker Ball 78 maconmagazine.com | AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2023