County Business – Charlotte Nash

As spring turns to summer, we all look forward to getting outside more often for fresh air and exercise. Your county government offers many ways to help you do that.

The first full week in April is National Volunteer Week, so this seems a good time to share a story of how one volunteer can make a real difference in helping local government operate more efficiently.

Spring officially begins on March 20 – and only a few weeks later, 81 golf pros will return to TPC Sugarloaf for the PGA’s Greater Gwinnett Championship. But today I want to write about snow and ice and planning ahead for emergencies.

I have always been a big believer in long-range planning. It works for individuals as well as for the government. Where do you want to be in five years? Ten years? What do you need to make that happen? What can you do now to start moving in that direction?

As 2014 gets underway, I believe the overall outlook for Gwinnett County will continue to improve. Together, we’ve been climbing out of a deep economic hole for the last six years, and I believe we’re starting to see daylight at the top.

This off-year election offered one major choice – a renewal of the Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax for three more years.

Gwinnett voters have approved the one-penny SPLOST sales tax seven times since 1985. This year, on November 5, it will be on the ballot again.

In this – my second column for the Gwinnett Citizen – I’ll talk a bit about why I enjoy serving you as a leader in our county government. We’ve faced significant challenges in recent years, but local residents and County staff met all them head-on, and I’m proud to say that success still lives here.