2024 State of the City Address Recap

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 become and that inspires each of us to see Woodstock's current and future role in a strong Georgia and America.

In last year's address, I laid out three priorities for my administration: continue to enhance the quality of life with the expansion of Woodstock's parks and trails systems, focus on recruiting businesses that offer high-paying jobs, and concentrate development efforts on making homeownership accessible for more of our citizens.

With 87% approval from voters for our Parks Bond Referendum last November, we are now making the largest investment in our parks and trails in Woodstock's 127-year history. We have allocated all the funding required to build the 100-acre Little River Park. This new park will include miles of paved, boardwalk, and natural trails; playgrounds, pavilions, fishing, outdoor learning space, green space, disc golf, hiking trails, a park office, and a visitor center — all tying into our master trail system. This will be a best-in-class park that's unlike anything else north of the perimeter.

In addition to this park, we'll be expanding trails throughout the city including the Noonday Creek extension, connecting to the Silver Comet Trail, which will allow visitors to travel from the Woodstock Arts Events Green all the way to Alabama without ever leaving the trail.

Our economy is growing faster than ever before, with business revenues increasing from $2.2 billion in 2017 to $3.2 billion today. The Woodstock City Center project is well underway, with street extensions and park space complete and now open. The parking deck is slated to open before the end of 2024, and most of the restaurants, retail spaces, and offices will be completed in late 2025. The project will conclude when hotel construction wraps up in a few short years.

We continue to focus on the owner-to-renter ratio in our city. American homeownership is the largest wealth-generating mechanism in human history, and it built the American middle class. We continue to work with the Atlanta Regional Commission, the state legislature, and our private sector partners to ensure Woodstock remains a great place for young professionals and new families to own a home and build generational wealth.

Our city remains among the safest in Georgia, with a continued reduction in our record-low crime rate, reaffirmation of our top 1% rating nationwide for our Fire Department, and a fully staffed Police Department for the first time in more than 10 years. Woodstock's credit rating was also upgraded by both Moody's and S&P to just one rating shy of a perfect AAA.

With limited space, I can only give you a few highlights of the incredible things that were discussed in the hour-long address, but I encourage you to watch the full speech on the City of Woodstock's YouTube account.

I am proud to report that Woodstock remains financially secure, economically robust, artistically vibrant, and the sought-after place to live for go-getters and dreamers throughout the region. The state of our city is optimistic, lively, and strong.