Recently, I was asked to answer a question for an award that Woodstock was nominated for regarding how City staff and Woodstock's elected officials prioritize listening to the community. Throughout my time as an elected public servant, I've held more open town hall meetings than any other elected official in Georgia, so this question felt near and ...

Every seat was filled at Woodstock Arts Theatre at this year's State of the City Address, as more than 200 people came to hear about Woodstock's accomplishments in the past year and the exciting things that lie ahead. This address is one of my favorite parts of this job, and I work hard to deliver an update that conveys how exciting our city has be...

Last November, Moody's lowered its official outlook on the credit of the United States federal government from "stable" to "negative." They cited large financial deficits and declining debt affordability as key factors driving this decision, calling into question our federal government's appetite for fiscal consolidation and debt reduction at any t...

At a time when inflation has impacted every American's buying power and home prices have skyrocketed, Woodstock residents owe our city council a big "thank you!" City of Woodstock is the only local government I know in the state that has chosen not to raise taxes by fully rolling back the millage rate this year. The city council has chosen to put f...

In November's municipal election this year, voters in Woodstock will be asked to make the decision on whether to make the largest single investment in our parks and trails in the city's history. The City Council approved a resolution, which asks voters to decide on a $24 million bond opportunity to complete all phases of Little River Park and expan...

Of Woodstock City Council's many important duties, the most critical is the passage of a fiscally responsible, balanced budget every year. On June 12, the Council passed the budget ordinance, which I signed. This action provides our government with its Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 Budget, which is effective July 1, 2023, through June 30, 2024. The Council...

Over the last few months, I've been sharing the stories of Woodstock's unsung heroes, the industrious visionaries who toil away behind the scenes, molding and shaping our community into something truly extraordinary. This month, I want to introduce you to a special place right in the heart of our beloved city, Made Mercantile.Settled among the clas...

Over the last two months during City Council meetings, I had the opportunity to honor several Boy Scouts from Troop 625 and Girl Scouts from Troop 14665 for earning the illustrious President's Volunteer Service Award (PVSA). Established in 2003 by the President's Council on Service and Civic Participation, the PVSA was created to recognize the outs...

One of the largest drivers of the City of Woodstock's success, both in an economic sense and in its higher quality of life, has been our focus on parks and recreation. My three main goals for Woodstock this year revolve around making homeownership more widely available, attracting additional high paying jobs and employers to our city, and expanding...

For more than 100 years, April 15 has been tax day in America. As a business owner, I share your bad feelings about the day. This year, I'm choosing to focus on another celebration taking place that day. Did you know that April 15 is also World Art Day? I'm no artist. I can't sing or draw, and those who have heard my Spotify playlist have been quic...

One of the most common questions I'm asked is "what does a mayor do?" Article IX of the Constitution of Georgia, which guarantees the right of "Home Rule" to citizens and the more than 500 cities in our state, enables local governments to pass their own laws and govern within the constitutional bounds and limitations set by the legislature. Each ci...

Making government more accessible and information more available to citizens has been a core value for me during my time in both the House of Representatives and as Woodstock's mayor. While in the legislature, I pioneered transparency measures in campaign finance by sharing daily, down-to-the-penny financial updates online. I was the first to live-...

 On December 8, the city of Woodstock will celebrate its 125th birthday! In the northern arc of metro Atlanta, it isn't rare to come across a city that is younger than my second grader. By comparison, our city has a rich history and a compelling story. As our tourism department will remind you, it truly is "A City Unexpected." In the early 19t...

 It is hard to believe that we've already reached the month of November. The past several years have been historic in so many ways, and historic seasons have a way of flying by. As Woodstock makes its way into autumn in earnest, we'll join the nation this month in pausing to give thanks. It's a tradition so ingrained in American culture that w...

Cherokee is one of only four of the 159 counties in Georgia with a 6% sales tax. Every other county has a higher tax rate. Where do those six pennies go? Four percent goes directly to the State of Georgia's general fund and are implemented automatically under state law. The remaining 2% was previously put in place by Cherokee County voters and must...

Of the roughly 18,000 police departments spread across the U.S., I can confidently say that the Woodstock Police Department is among the very best. Our officers, under the leadership of our new Chief Robert Jones and his predecessor Chief Calvin Moss, consistently serve our citizens well by centering their work on the Department's four core values:...

 Each year, the most important duty of Woodstock's City Council is the adoption of a fiscally responsible, balanced budget, which was completed on June 13. I signed the ordinance to provide for our FY2023 Budget, and its execution took effect July 1, 2022, and will end June 30, 2023. I'm proud that Woodstock continues to assess some of the low...

As the mayor of Woodstock, and Woodstock's former member of the Georgia House of Representatives, I have had the honor of serving our families in two different elected roles that are (very intentionally) part-time. In my opinion, citizen legislators and citizen mayors make for better public servants. Keeping these roles part-time, and paying them c...

In 2021, the downtown Woodstock shopping district had more than three million visitors, which ranks it among the most frequented downtowns in the southeastern U.S., and it ranks the center of our city as the No. 1 destination in Cherokee County. We have built a place where people from all around the nation want to be. With Woodstock's popularity, m...

As Woodstock's new mayor, one of my first official duties was to present the State of the City Address to our council and the public. My speech highlighted that our city is leading from a position of strength. With publications like Homes.com and Money Magazine ranking Woodstock among the best places to live in America, Safewise.com calling us one ...