GAINESVILLE – Gainesville Mayor Danny Dunagan delivered his annual State of the City address at Tuesday evening’s city council meeting.
In the 14-minute speech Dunagan mentioned six values that he credits for the healthy condition of the city:
-
Doing more with less
-
Excellence and effectiveness in service
-
Continuing to revitalize midtown
-
Innovation in economic development
-
Accountability to citizens
-
Upholding the highest professional and ethical standards
Dunagan said since the 2010 U.S. Census the city’s population had increased 20-percent while the value of taxable property within the city was up 35-percent, yet the city budget had only experienced miniscule increases in comparison.
The mayor also mentioned the city’s new state-of-the-art water treatment plant, the Gainesville Fire Department maintaining its Class 1 ISO rating, pay and equipment gains at the police department, and a number of other accomplishments that happened in 2018.
He said the biggest challenge facing the city was managing growth, especially in the problematic area of traffic. He said three major projects are under development that will help ease traffic congestion: the Dawsonville Highway and McEver Road intersection, improvements along Green Street, and the intersection of Jesse Jewell and John Morrow Parkways.
Dunagan thanked city employees for their tireless work ethic and said if the predicted population increase from 42,000 residents today to 65,000 in less than twenty years occurs he felt the city was ready for the challenge.
To hear Dunagan’s speech in its entirety use the audio player above.
