Macon committee agrees to pave 58 streets
Fifty-eight asphalt streets in Macon will be patched or resurfaced at a cost of nearly $1.5 million, the City Council’s Appropriations Committee decided Monday.
Source: Macon Telegraph
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Macon pension costs seen rising as budget tackled
Digging into actual city departmental budgets instead of outside agencies, the Macon City Council’s Appropriations Committee quickly ran into some higher costs for the coming fiscal year.
Source: Macon Telegraph
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Big Macon-Bibb Election Two Months Away
As Macon and Bibb County voters get ready to elect their first-ever consolidated government July 16, one expert thinks they may have to update their calendars — federal authorities could delay the elections under the Voting Rights Act.
Source: GPB News
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Reichert, Ellis Confront Recent Records
Macon mayor Robert Reichert and his immediate predecessor C. Jack Ellis are facing scrutiny over their recent records, as both vie to become the first mayor of the consolidated Macon-Bibb County.
Source: GPB News
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Macon budget talks start with flap over sales tax
Macon City Council members began a three-week slog through Mayor Robert Reichert’s proposed budget Wednesday, with a skirmish breaking out almost immediately over whether estimates of sales tax revenue are low enough.
Source: Macon Telegraph
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Reichert proposes balanced budget for Macon
Mayor Robert Reichert presented a $71.2 million general fund balanced budget, which includes no change in tax rates, during a special meeting of Macon City Council on Tuesday.
Source: Macon Telegraph
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Board Grills Macon Mayoral Candidates
he Telegraph of Macon's editorial board has begun their process of interviewing candidates ahead of the first elections for the soon-to-be-consolidated Macon-Bibb County government.
Source: GPB News
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Macon airport tower gets reprieve
The control tower at Middle Georgia Regional Airport, expected to close in June due to federal budget cuts, will stay open at least until Sept. 30, the FAA announced Friday afternoon.
Source: Macon Telegraph
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Macon-Bibb merger group discusses pension plans
The task force that’s working on merging Macon and Bibb County governments is considering a choice between two pension plans for employees of the consolidated government: one defined-benefit plan, similar to what Bibb County already offers; and one hybrid between a defined-benefit and a defined-contribution plan.
Source: Macon Telegraph
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Revamped Medical Center corridor at Pine, New streets celebrated
As pedestrians used the new brick crosswalks and vehicles moved through the newly landscaped plaza at the corner of Pine and New streets, officials from the city, The Medical Center of Central Georgia and other groups involved in improving the street held a ceremonial ribbon-cutting for the already-open thoroughfare.
Source: Macon Telegraph
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Incumbents cite varied reasons for not running again
Most of the 21 elected officials of Macon and Bibb County have joined the scramble for the 10-member Macon-Bibb County consolidated government, due to take office in January 2014. But one-third of the current city and county officeholders have opted not to run for the new jobs, for a variety of reasons.
Source: Macon Telegraph
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Meet Your New Macon-Bibb District
Voters in Macon and Bibb County will soon elect their first representatives in the new consolidated government — nine city-county commissioners representing nine all-new districts.
Source: GPB News
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New Macon-Bibb radio components coming online
Piece by piece, the new emergency radio system for all Bibb County public-safety agencies is coming together, expected to be fully operational before the end of the year.
Source: Macon Telegraph
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Burns to retire as Macon’s police chief
Macon Police Chief Mike Burns, who took the job in May 2005 and has more than 38 years in police service, will retire May 31, the department announced late Friday.
Source: Macon Telegraph
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Two Macon-Bibb candidates qualify on final day
After 20 candidates qualified Monday to run for office in the consolidated Macon-Bibb County government, the rest of the week was relatively quiet at the Bibb County Board of Elections.
Source: Macon Telegraph
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Consulting firm hired to develop vision for Macon-Bibb County
An Atlanta-based consulting firm has been hired by the Macon-Bibb County chamber and other area groups to “facilitate the creation of a community and economic development strategy for Macon-Bibb County,” according to a news release.
Source: Macon Telegraph
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Bibb consolidation technology committee updated about new system
Members of the Macon-Bibb County Consolidation Transition Task Force’s Technology Committee learned Thursday of a three-part plan to merge the city and county’s computer software and hardware into one system for the new government.
Source: Macon Telegraph
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Five Macon-Bibb candidates qualify Tuesday
Five candidates qualified Tuesday to seek office this summer in the Macon-Bibb County elections that will set the leaders of the consolidated government.
Source: Macon Telegraph
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Macon council committee approves joining air tower lawsuit
Macon City Council’s Public Properties Committee unanimously approved a resolution Tuesday to authorize the city to join a multi-city lawsuit that seeks to prevent the closing of air traffic control towers as part of federal budget cuts.
Source: Macon Telegraph
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Feds Delay Decision On Macon-Bibb Voting
The deadline for federal authorities to stop controversial changes to election law in Macon and Bibb County has been greatly extended, casting a shadow of uncertainty over the community's most important local election in decades.
Source: GPB News
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Sales tax proceeds would bolster stretch of Log Cabin Drive
Drivers and walkers on Log Cabin Drive should soon benefit from continuous sidewalks, lights, better drainage and a repaired bridge over Rocky Creek, if Macon City Council approves a contract coming up for consideration in May.
Source: Macon Telegraph
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20 qualify to run for spots in the new Macon-Bibb government
Current Macon Mayor Robert Reichert, former Mayor C. Jack Ellis and Bibb County Commission Vice Chairman Joe Allen were among the early candidates who qualified Monday for offices in the consolidated Macon-Bibb County government set to begin Jan. 1.
Source: Macon Telegraph
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Macon-Bibb merger may squeeze offices
Employees of the Macon-Bibb County consolidated government may move into tighter quarters because of the merger, architects from the firm BTBB Inc. on Thursday told the Facilities Committee of the task force working on consolidation.
Source: Macon Telegraph
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Candidate Glover arrested on pot charge in Jones County
Twenty-six days before Danny Glover announced his run for the District 3 seat on the new Macon-Bibb County commission, he was arrested in Jones County on a misdemeanor marijuana-possession charge.
Source: Macon Telegraph
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Shepherd seeks Macon-Bibb County District 7 seat
A fourth candidate has joined the race for the District 7 seat on the new Macon-Bibb County consolidated commission, one of two districts that’s not home to any incumbent politician.
Source: Macon Telegraph
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Macon control tower gets extension
The control tower at Middle Georgia Regional Airport will stay open at least until June 15, the FAA announced Friday.
Source: Macon Telegraph
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Allen announces run for mayor of consolidated government
At one point during a Friday news conference to announce his bid for mayor of the consolidated Macon-Bibb County government, Joe Allen pulled out his cellphone and held it up in front of the cameras.
Source: Macon Telegraph
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Macon-Bibb merger moves slowed for debate
Though much recent talk on the task force working to consolidate Macon and Bibb County governments has been about the need for speed, getting vital functions in operation on Jan. 1, 2014, two committees slowed their pace Wednesday morning.
Source: Macon Telegraph
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City: Filmore Thomas should top rec project list
Macon City Council on Tuesday officially asked Bibb County commissioners to put construction of the Filmore Thomas Recreation Area on top of the priority list for recreation spending.
Source: Macon Telegraph
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Federal cuts to have slow impact on Macon
Details of the local impact of mandatory federal budget cuts, termed sequestration, may not be known for some time. But in general there will be a “slow, constant ripple in our local economy,” Macon’s grants manager said Friday.
Source: Macon Telegraph
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Lawmakers pass last-minute Macon-Bibb changes
In the remaining few hours of the Georgia legislative session, a majority of Bibb’s five House of Representatives members signed a laundry list of changes to the Macon-Bibb County consolidated government charter, with a few last-minute additions.
Source: Macon Telegraph
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Talk of Macon Broadway revival broadens
Property owners and other parties interested in a three-block stretch of Broadway in Macon discussed Thursday afternoon how it can be redeveloped, linking the downtown core with the proposed Renaissance on the River project on Riverside Drive.
Source: Macon Telegraph
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Ellis draws attention to gun violence
Former Macon Mayor C. Jack Ellis, now running for the new Macon-Bibb countywide mayor’s job, said Thursday that recent incidents led him to call for greater efforts against gun crimes.
Source: Macon Telegraph
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Macon struggles to catch up landfill closure fund
Sooner or later, the Macon city landfill will close. Though responsibility for that will rest on the consolidated government that takes over next January, city officials have done some planning for how to pay closure costs.
Source: Macon Telegraph
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Martinez running for Macon-Bibb District 2
One of the hottest political races for the new Macon-Bibb County government is the District 2 seat, which on Tuesday gained a fourth announced candidate, Irving Martinez.
Source: Macon Telegraph
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Macon police accreditation renewed
The Macon Police Department’s accreditation has been renewed by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies Inc.
Source: Macon Telegraph
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Control tower closure coming April 21
The control tower at Middle Georgia Regional Airport is expected to close April 21, one casualty of automatic federal budget cuts, Airport Manager Doug Faour told a Macon City Council committee Tuesday.
Source: Macon Telegraph
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Macon-Bibb merger group makes high-dollar choices
The task force working on consolidation of Macon and Bibb County governments can’t officially obligate the new government -- or current city and county governments -- on spending issues, but many of its moves would be so hard to undo that the effect is much the same.
Source: Macon Telegraph
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Second Street plan moves forward despite dispute
General authorization for building a “model block” of Second Street between Cherry and Poplar streets, and the long-touted connector between Second and Little Richard Penniman Boulevard, passed Macon City Council 13-1 Tuesday night.
Source: Macon Telegraph
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Macon-Bibb merger talk turns to offices, storage
How to shuffle current Macon and Bibb County offices, and, in particular, where to store years worth of paper records are on the minds of those working to combine the two governments.
Source: Macon Telegraph
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Zero-emissions bus comes to Macon streets
The Macon Transit Authority introduced its first zero-emission diesel bus Thursday afternoon, as about 40 people gathered in front of the transit authority’s Terminal Station headquarters to watch.
Source: Macon Telegraph
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Macon-Bibb government bills back on track
The state House of Representatives has approved a bundle of bills governing Bibb and Hancock counties, after a partisan standoff tied to a Fulton County row threatened to kill the midstate measures.
Source: Macon Telegraph
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Macon-Bibb would merge appointment power
The mayor of the consolidated Macon-Bibb County would take over the jobs of both the mayor of Macon and the Bibb County Commission chairman, at least when it comes to joining or making appointments to local boards and authorities, under a new state House of Representatives bill.
Source: Macon Telegraph
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Rail line trail idea gets second wind
An effort to turn the former CSX rail line from Macon to Milledgeville into a multi-use trail is back on track after lying dormant for some time.
Source: Macon Telegraph
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Local grocery seeking downtown Macon spot
More than a year ago, Steve Bell announced his plans to open Ocmulgee Traders, a locally owned grocery that would be based in the College Hill Corridor section of Macon.
Source: Macon Telegraph
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MWA sewer improvements paying off
Record rains in February gave the Macon Water Authority its first real opportunity to test whether almost $15 million in sewer system improvements have paid off in reduced sewage spills.
Source: Macon Telegraph
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Olson joins race for new commission seat
Macon City Councilwoman Beverly K. Olson wants to stay in politics, even as her council ward gives way to District 4 of the new Macon-Bibb County consolidated commission.
Source: Macon Telegraph
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Ellis announces run for Macon-Bibb County mayor
If the consolidation of Macon and Bibb County is going to be successful, it’s going to require the community to come together. That was the message Thursday morning at the home of former Macon Mayor C. Jack Ellis as he formally announced his intention to run for mayor of the new Macon-Bibb County government.
Source: Macon Telegraph
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Macon shaving budget to cover tax shortfall
Near the end of the annual mid-year budget review, members of the Macon City Council Appropriations Committee got around to what Chairman Tom Ellington called “the $4 million elephant in the room.”
Source: Macon Telegraph
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New bill looks to restart Macon-to-Atlanta train
A bill by an Atlanta legislator would put together a team and give it the authority to do everything it needs to set up passenger rail between Atlanta and Macon. But it would take both leadership and money to get the project on track.
Source: Macon Telegraph
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Jones to seek new commission seat
Macon City Councilman Charles Jones is the latest incumbent to announce a run for a seat on the new Macon-Bibb County consolidated commission.
Source: Macon Telegraph
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Macon leaders seek regional concord in Legislature
Macon’s big wheels rolled up to the state Capitol on Tuesday for an annual visit with state legislators, urging them to tend to funding for transportation and Robins Air Force Base, and to cooperate with neighboring counties.
Source: Macon Telegraph
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Historic Macon announces downtown lofts project
Historic Macon announced Tuesday it will rehabilitate the building at 551 Cherry St., turning it into a mixed-used property with a business storefront and four lofts.
Source: Macon Telegraph
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Beverly wants Macon development zone expanded
A bipartisan bill just filed in the state House would make more of Macon part of a special development zone that’s seeking outside dollars to help lure investors to the city’s most impoverished neighborhoods.
Source: Macon Telegraph
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Macon-Bibb consolidation costs coming
The task force working on consolidating Macon and Bibb County governments expects the city and county will have to split more consolidation costs over the next few months -- some for consultants helping plan the new government, but more for items the government will actually need to operate when it takes over in January 2014.
Source: Macon Telegraph
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Danny Glover to challenge Lucas for District 3 commission seat
Danny Glover, former Bibb County Democratic Party chairman and unsuccessful 2011 candidate for Macon City Council, announced Monday afternoon that he’s running for the District 3 seat on the new consolidated Macon-Bibb County commission.
Source: Macon Telegraph
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Abbott to run against DeFore for seat in new government
After losing to Joe Allen in last year’s District 4 Bibb County Commission race, Robert Abbott is set to challenge another longtime Macon political veteran for a seat in the new consolidated government.
Source: Macon Telegraph
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Macon officials want workers to keep existing pension plans
A Macon City Council committee unanimously voted Wednesday to ask the Macon-Bibb County consolidation task force to recommend that all employees be able to stay in their current pension plans, regardless of whether they are vested in their plans.
Source: Macon Telegraph
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DeFore to run for new Macon-Bibb commission
Ed DeFore intends for his political career to outlast the city of Macon. After 10 full, four-year terms on Macon City Council and a year so far into an 11th, he said Monday he will run for a seat on the new consolidated commission that takes office next January.
Source: Macon Telegraph
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Good financial news for both the city and county
The thought of consolidation has been mostly out of sight and mind since the measure finally passed muster last July, however, there are a number of people involved in making sure, as much as possible, that the transition to the new governmental structure occurs smoothly.
Source: Macon Telegraph
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City-county pensions offer tricky choices for consolidation officials
The task force committees working on merging Macon and Bibb County government heard from consultants Thursday that they’ll have to choose carefully in setting up a pension system for newly-hired employees, to keep them from being more expensive than current plans.
Source: Macon Telegraph
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Workforce agreement falls before Macon council
The months-long scrap between Macon City Council and the Macon-Bibb County Workforce Investment Board over liability for the Workforce board’s finances will go on, as council narrowly defeated a contract resolution Tuesday night that would have settled some disputed points.
Source: Macon Telegraph
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Workforce liability agreement ready for final vote
A long-discussed contract governing Macon’s liability for the Macon-Bibb County Workforce Investment Board’s spending is expected to be up for final approval at the full City Council meeting Tuesday night.
Source: Macon Telegraph
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Recycling plays into Macon-Bibb County consolidation plan
When Macon and Bibb County governments consolidate in less than a year, newly elected officials will have a lot of decisions to make quickly, including what to do about solid waste collection and recycling services.
Source: Macon Telegraph
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Reichert’s State of the City address disrupted by protesters
Mayor Robert Reichert planned an upbeat finale to his State of the City address Thursday, but that hope dissolved in the face of angry shouts from two dozen protesters, waving signs and demanding action on the six-week-old fatal shooting of Sammie “Junebug” Davis Jr. by police officer Clayton Sutton.
Source: Macon Telegraph
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Demand for downtown Macon housing is booming
For all the people who want to live in downtown Macon, there are not enough properties ready to accommodate them. A NewTown study last year estimated that 235 residential units could be developed in downtown Macon for each of the next five years and that number still wouldn’t keep up with the demand.
Source: Macon Telegraph
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Senate OKs nonpartisan vote for Macon-Bibb offices
By a nearly party line vote of 34-15, the state Senate has endorsed a Republican proposal that would make Macon-Bibb County consolidated government elections nonpartisan, setting the first vote for July 2013.
Source: Macon Telegraph
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Macon council committee calls for Tasers for all police
Members of a Macon City Council committee called Monday afternoon for all city police to be equipped with Tasers, hoping to prevent a repetition of the Dec. 21 fatal shooting of an unarmed man at the Kroger store on Pio Nono Avenue.
Source: Macon Telegraph
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Macon-area senator asks for nonpartisan local elections
During the opening day of the annual Georgia General Assembly session, state Sen. Cecil Staton, R-Macon, has filed bills asking the state Legislature to set nonpartisan elections for the Macon-Bibb County consolidated government.
Source: Macon Telegraph
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Macon to concentrate on a few nagging audit problems
Though auditors Mauldin & Jenkins gave the city of Macon a generally clean report on its financial operations for the last fiscal year, a few nagging problems returned; and auditors tacked on a list of policy suggestions.
Source: Macon Telegraph
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City of Macon gets clean audit
For the third consecutive year, Macon received a clean report from local auditing firm Mauldin & Jenkins.
Source: Macon Telegraph
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Macon moves to pay extra for firefighters
A Macon City Council committee Monday endorsed spending an extra $110,000 on firefighters’ pay, but the unanimous votes came with pointed recognition of inaccuracies in city financial documents and a repetition of complaints about the cost of consolidation with Bibb County.
Source: Macon Telegraph
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Committee: consolidated government pensions will take long study
It’s going to take months of research and debate to set up a new pension system for employees of the consolidated Macon and Bibb County governments. That much members of the consolidation task force’s Human Resources Committee could agree on immediately.
Source: Macon Telegraph
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Mayoral handicapping
Just when you thought you’d had enough of politics for a while, the maneuvering is under way in anticipation of the 2013 elections. Who’ll be mayor of consolidated Macon/Bibb County?
Source: Macon Telegraph
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Macon work requests take off with SeeClickFix
Since Macon began taking basic service calls through web-based SeeClickFix, requests for city work have gone up by 20 percent, according to Amanda Deaton, assistant chief administrative officer for budget and planning.
Source: Macon Telegraph
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Donation stations draw dollars in Macon
After a month of use, the donation stations in downtown Macon have collected nearly $1,000 for programs to aid the homeless. That’s according to Mechel McKinley, Main Street Macon manager and a member of the Leadership Macon 2012 class that first had the idea for the meters.
Source: Macon Telegraph
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Second Street redevelopment area expanding
In a rare Friday afternoon meeting, Macon City Council swiftly approved doubling the size of a redevelopment district along the Second Street corridor.
Source: Macon Telegraph
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A move the new government must take
new employees of the consolidated government should be offered a defined contribution pension plan such as a 401(k), 403(b) or 457. This would follow the path many businesses have taken for very good reasons.
Source: Macon Telegraph
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Consolidation group seeks grant, public feedback
How much and how quickly residents can participate in the Macon-Bibb County consolidation process likely will depend on the fate of a grant application to the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.
Source: Macon Telegraph
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Revitalization Project Earns Private Investment
It was a watershed moment in the revitalization of one historic neighborhood Wednesday, as a private developer showed off its efforts to continue what a nonprofit started.
Source: GPB News
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Macon-Bibb consolidation budget grows
The total known cost for consolidating Macon and Bibb County governments is now up to $576,626, according to numbers announced Wednesday afternoon at a meeting of the task force working on unification.
Source: Macon Telegraph
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Macon cop and fire pension board may remain one seat short
It’s been more than 30 days since Bibb Superior Court Judge Phillip Brown ruled that Lynn Wood had to give up his citizen-at-large seat on the Macon Fire & Police Employees Retirement System Board, and no appeal has been filed.
Source: Macon Telegraph
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Foundations help Macon-Bibb County consolidation
Costs for the Macon-Bibb County Consolidation Task Force are now expected to exceed the $500,000 mark, but a good chunk of that bill will be carried by local foundations.
Source: Macon Telegraph
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Macon councilmen pull controversial pension proposal
Macon City Councilmen Henry Ficklin and Lonnie Miley said Tuesday they are withdrawing a controversial measure that would have allowed several longtime council members to draw a pension.
Source: Macon Telegraph
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Pension proposal divides Macon council
An ordinance sponsored by councilmen Henry Ficklin and Lonnie Miley would let a few council members join the city general employees’ pension system, and draw $25 per month for each year they held city office.
Source: Macon Telegraph
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Consolidation group wants public's help
Now that Macon-Bibb County consolidation is coming and a general outline is set for the new government, the task force working on details wants to get the public engaged.
Source: Macon Telegraph
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Lawyers: Consolidation bill creates legal conflicts
Some of Bibb County’s many boards and authorities are slated for reform under the legislation that consolidates Macon-Bibb County government. But those parts of the legislation alone have more than a dozen legal problems, according to attorneys’ analyses and that of the Macon-Bibb County Board of Tax Assessors.
Source: Macon Telegraph
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Mayors’ Christmas Motorcade rolls again
The Mayors’ Christmas Motorcade took off from Macon City Hall on Tuesday carrying a load of cheer to the patients at Central State Hospital in Milledgeville.
Source: Macon Telegraph
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Macon asking Bibb for more voting locations, extra Saturday
Macon City Council is formally asking Bibb County to establish one or two more early-voting locations, and hold a second Saturday of early voting, before the election of the new city-county consolidated government in November 2013.
Source: Macon Telegraph
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Macon turns down city-county consolidation cost for now
After a long, sometimes acrimonious discussion Monday, the Appropriations Committee of Macon City Council declined to pay the city’s half of expected costs for consolidating city and Bibb County governments.
Source: Macon Telegraph
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New tourism signs planned for College Hill
A new look is planned for directional signs to local attractions and historic sites in and around the College Hill area, and it’s likely to extend throughout downtown Macon.
Source: Macon Telegraph
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Second Street project expansion takes a step forward
Mayor Robert Reichert’s proposal to expand a tax-incentive district further along the Second Street redevelopment area narrowly made it through a special meeting of the City Council’s Appropriations Committee on Monday, though council members switched the funding source for the needed legal work.
Source: Macon Telegraph
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Macon-Bibb consolidation panel packed into portion of county
Macon City Council President James Timley is a member of the task force that’s working to create a consolidated government for Macon and Bibb County, and when he looks around the table at the group’s monthly meetings he sees very familiar faces.
Source: Macon Telegraph
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