GwinnettForum | Number 25.65 | Aug. 22, 2025
CAMERAS MOUNTED on utility poles around Gwinnett continue to appear more frequently. Is this a good aspect of the county’s growth? Some say they make the county much more safe. Read about it in Today’s Focus, below.
TODAY’S FOCUS: Join the Gwinnett Safe Communities program
EEB PERSPECTIVE: “Study commissions” a way to get around 40-day rule
SPOTLIGHT: Howard Brothers Outdoor Power Equipment and Hardware
ANOTHER VIEW: Say “no!” to possibility of statewide gambling
FEEDBACK: Our military has obsolete equipment to fight WWIII
UPCOMING: County tax rate to remain the same for 2025
NOTABLE: Lawrenceville earns strong credit rating from agencies
RECOMMENDED: The Age of Innocence, by Edith Wharton
GEORGIA TIDBIT: Author Manley wrote about Southern characters
MYSTERY PHOTO: This photograph might test your history acumen
CALENDAR: Day of Play on Aug. 22 at Lillian Webb Park
Join the Gwinnett Safe Communities Program
By Daisy Mills
DULUTH, Ga. | Businesses can help make the Sugarloaf Community Improvement District safer by enrolling in Gwinnett County’s new community camera sharing program! You can make a big difference through this collective community effort.
There are two ways you can participate to improve safety for our community:
- Register cameras on your property to enable Gwinnett Police to locate cameras and/or potentially contact you faster in the event of an incident.
- Integrate your cameras with Gwinnett Safe Communities through a mutual agreement between you and the Gwinnett Police. Your camera will only be accessed during a criminal incident or emergency at or near your camera’s location.
Across the Metro Atlanta area, camera owners are helping first responders respond to emergency situations more effectively through a new technology. Camera owners can provide authorized law enforcement the locations of cameras on their properties (known as “registering” a camera) and allow them to view live footage in the event of an emergency. The more cameras that are registered in Gwinnett aids law enforcement in “connecting the dots” to recover stolen property, help solve other crimes, and even locate missing persons. This technology was developed in Gwinnett County by Fusus, which is a part of the company Axon. That firm also produces police body worn cameras and tasers.
To be even more proactive, the additional option of integrating your camera with the Fusus technology gives authorized law enforcement personnel access to your camera, ONLY if determined necessary for public safety or in the event of an emergency. This completely voluntary program mutually benefits first responders in Gwinnett County and you by being proactive and providing more real-time information about a potentially dangerous situation.
Both options are completely voluntary, and camera owners can enroll and withdraw from the program at any time. Only authorized law enforcement personnel are able to view footage in either case, and all actions with footage leave a detailed audit trail for accountability.
Using the Fusus technology, registered and integrated cameras can be utilized along with the existing Flock Safety Cameras that Sugarloaf CID and Gwinnett Police use. The Flock Safety Cameras read license plates and communicate with law enforcement databases to flag potentially related criminal activity, and they have been a huge success.
In 2023, the Flock Safety Cameras located in the Central Precinct, which were purchased and installed by Sugarloaf CID and Gwinnett Place CID, helped the Gwinnett Police to recover 32 stolen vehicles (including 17 related arrests) and locate 51 wanted persons. These cameras are a deterrent for criminals attempting vehicle-based crimes, because they are more likely to get caught.
Visit the Safe Communities website for more information! Here are some FAQs to check out. You can also request the Gwinnett Police come to your property to evaluate the best place for potential cameras and discuss your connectivity options with the Fusus technology.
- Have a comment? Click here to send an email.
“Study commissions” a way to get around 40-day rule
By Elliott Brack
Editor and publisher, GwinnettForum
AUG. 22, 2025 | It may be another unwritten example of mankind, such as Newton’s Laws, only this applies to politics.
But first, back to Newton. We get from the Internet Newton’s three laws of motion, describing how objects move.
“The first law states that an object at rest stays at rest, and an object in motion stays in motion with the same speed and direction unless acted upon by an unbalanced force. The second law relates force, mass, and acceleration: force equals mass times acceleration (F=ma). The third law states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.”
Now move it to politics: We’ll paraphrase:
“A law written tends to remain at rest, until a legislator walks by, at which time, anything can happen.”
We’ve seen this go on for years. Hard-working voters send people to the Capitol to work for them, but somehow, things get mixed up so much that the legislator forgets who sent him, and starts working to change matters, often to benefit someone, perhaps a constituent, one way or another. But not necessarily the people who sent him or her.
Georgia law requires that the legislature should meet for 40 days each year. But legislators don’t count 40 consecutive days from the beginning of the session. You, see, they don’t count the weekends, and don’t necessarily meet each day of the week. They only count the days that they actually gather in official sessions at the Capitol in Atlanta.
So while most people would say from the opening session in January, they might meet until about the middle or end of February, somehow the 40th day they meet might even end in April!
Some of you longtime readers may remember that one of the Continuing Objectives of GwinnettForum calls for the legislature to meet for 40 days every other year.
After all, since we already have enough laws on the books to govern Georgia properly, why have any more than necessary? And remember, we’re not trying to cut the remuneration of any legislator. Pay them for staying away from the Capitol every other year. That’s a small price to pay so that we won’t have many more unnecessary laws.
Yet remember the premise: “A law written tends to remain at rest, until a legislator walks by, at which time, anything can happen.”
Here’s another way these duly-elected officials are getting around the 40 day rule, as pointed out by Jet Toney, a veteran Georgia lobbyist, who was on a panel recently hosted by the Southwest Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce. Toney mentioned that these elected officials often form “study committees” on various topics, to report back to the 40 day session next time it comes around.
And guess what? Legislators get handsomely paid for these days they meet with members of “study commissions.”
When working on study committees, Georgia legislators receive a per diem (daily allowance) of $247 per day. This per diem is in addition to their annual salary, which is $24,341.64 per year.
This per diem covers expenses incurred during their time on study committees, including for their service on standing or interim committees, or any other board, bureau, commission, or agency created by law.
This $247 per diem was increased from $173 per day, effective April 15, 2022.
Final observation: “Always watch out when the legislature is in session. For sure, some ox will get gored.” Newton might appreciate that.
- Have a comment? Click here to send an email.
Howard Brothers
The public spiritedness of our underwriters allows us to bring GwinnettForum.com to you at no cost to readers. Today’s sponsor is Howard Brothers Outdoor Power Equipment and Hardware. John and Doug Howard are the “brothers” in Howard Brothers. This family-owned business was started by their dad, and now John and Doug’s children are helping to lead in the business. Howard Brothers has locations in Alpharetta, Athens, Doraville, Duluth, Lula, Oakwood, and now store no. 7 in Dallas. They specialize in hardware, outdoor power equipment and parts and service. Howard Brothers are authorized dealers of STIHL, Exmark, Honda, Echo, and other well known brands in the green industry. Howard Brothers is also an authorized Big Green Egg dealer, and is one of the only Platinum Traeger Grill dealers in the state of Georgia.
- Visit their web site www.howardbrothers.com.
- For a list of other sponsors of this forum, click here.
Say “no!” to possibility of statewide gambling
By Tim Anderson
FITZGERALD, Ga. | They’re trying again. Georgia lawmakers have set up a committee to study gambling in Georgia. Committee on Gambling in the State of Georgia is out among us, as they say. They are seeking input from Georgia citizens on casinos, horse racing, online sports betting and pari-mutuel betting—in other words, the shotgun approach to betting to see what will stick with voters.
There is like a majority move among legislators to put the issue out there, probably through a Constitutional amendment that will allow it all. Then the legislature will decide which specific forms of betting will be allowed. It’s a fact that betting is already among us, if it isn’t legal. Online sports betting has blossomed in recent years, and it’s hard to stop. The decision will be to allow it and let the State take a cut, too.
There is an estimated $2 billion on the table in Georgia for potential revenue. We think that is grossly underrated. One decision is to decide how that revenue can be targeted to attract the most voters. Gov Zell Miller sold the Lottery in the early 1990s by promising revenue would go to the Hope Scholarships and kindergarten programs. One bill is designating healthcare. If the money could go to support rural hospitals, it might gain some momentum.
When gambling increases, crime goes up, bankruptcies go up, and addiction goes up. Jobs go down, savings go down, and spending on necessities goes down.
Current legislation promises six casinos statewide. Casino lobbying interests will be spending tons of money and telling their usual lies. Jobs and prosperity for all. But the truth is that statewide gambling efforts will damage our social fabric. Maybe irreparably. Don’t allow yourselves to believe differently.
Special interests stand to make millions if gambling is made legal. Our Gov. Brian Kemp has done just fine bringing jobs and prosperity to our state. Jobs that create without destroying. We prefer his way much better.
- Have a comment? Click here to send an email.
Our military has obsolete equipment to fight WWIII
Editor, the Forum:
We are still trying to conduct a successful audit of our military, which has expensive, obsolete equipment designed to fight World War II again. This is one area where we could save money instead of causing 11 million or more people to lose health insurance.
Defense spending by the United States accounted for nearly 40 percent of all military expenditures by countries around the world in 2024, according to recently released figures from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.
In 2024, the United States spent $997 billion on defense, which is more than the next nine countries’ spending combined. In comparison, China, which is the second biggest defense spender, spent $314 billion on military expenditures in 2024. Finally, thanks to the military-industrial complex, our few drones cost thousands of dollars.
– George Wilson, Stone Mountain
Is it possibly time to split Gwinnett school district?
Editor, the Forum:
Amazing, isn’t it, how Buford schools can premier a new massive football stadium on national television and still have the money for one of the top rated school systems in the state. Meanwhile the rest of Gwinnett County is stuck in this massive mess of an unmanageable oversized district that just gets worse by the year. Maybe time to split this mess up and let local areas control their own schools?
– Dan Mackaben, Crystal Lake , Ill.
Dear Dan: Yes, Buford has excellent schools, and no city ad valorem tax. But Buford also benefits by having a vastly profitable natural gas system which serves about 50,000 customers all the way to Monroe. It also has three other enterprise funds, electricity, water and sewer. These combined profits allow Buford to thrive. –eeb
- Send us your thoughts: We encourage you to send us your letters and thoughts on issues raised in GwinnettForum. Please limit comments to 300 words, and include your hometown. The views of letters are the opinion of the contributor. We reserve the right to edit for clarity and length. Send feedback and letters to: ebrack2@gmail.com.
County tax rate to remain the same for 2025
The Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday adopted the same general fund millage rate as last year, 6.95 mills.
Property taxes are based on millage rates set by county government, school systems and cities. One mill equals a dollar tax per thousand dollars of assessed property value. The Gwinnett County Tax Assessor calculates the total value of all taxable property in the county, called the tax digest, by conducting annual updates of residential and commercial property values.
Most homeowners in Gwinnett benefit from the value offset exemption, which holds the assessed value of a property constant for the county tax portion of their bill, even if there is an increase in property value. This means they will not see an increase in the county government portion of their tax bill.
The property tax millage rate for property owners in unincorporated Gwinnett County will be 14.71. The millage rates for special service districts and countywide levies for recreation and economic development also remain unchanged from last year. Millage rates for service districts in Gwinnett are based on property location and county services provided, such as police, fire and emergency services and code enforcement.
Tuesday’s action paved the way for the Tax Commissioner’s Office to mail property tax bills in September. Payments are due in November.
Two new hotels coming to Sugarloaf CID area
The Sugarloaf Community Improvement District is welcoming two more hotels to serve visitors to the area.
Satellite Commercial Properties is managing the development of an Element by Westin hotel at 2140 Satellite Boulevard, featuring rooms with kitchens for longer stays.
Surya Hospitality is managing the development of a Holiday Inn Express and Suites, a 110-room property located at 1930 Satellite Boulevard, with complimentary breakfast and meeting room spaces. Both hotels are aiming for a Fall 2026 opening.
Lawrenceville earns strong credit rating from agencies
The City of Lawrenceville has earned strong ratings from the nation’s leading credit agencies, reflecting confidence in the city’s fiscal management and economic growth. S&P Global Ratings affirmed Lawrenceville’s “AA” rating with a stable outlook, while Moody’s Investors Service reaffirmed its “Aa2” rating with a stable outlook.
City Manager Chuck Warbington said the ratings demonstrate Lawrenceville’s stability and readiness for the future. “Credit ratings like these are more than numbers — they’re a reflection of the choices we make as a city. We’re intentional about how we grow, how we invest, and how we prepare for the future. Lawrenceville’s financial strength gives us the flexibility to respond to challenges and the confidence to pursue opportunities that benefit our residents for years to come.”
Both agencies cited Lawrenceville’s solid reserves, conservative budgeting practices, and steady performance of its electric and gas utility funds as key strengths. Moody’s reported more than $106 million in cash reserves, equal to 69% of annual revenues, while S&P noted that the City ended fiscal year 2024 with more than $18 million in general fund reserves, equal to two-thirds of annual revenue.
The city’s long-term planning and moderate debt levels also contributed to the strong ratings. Lawrenceville maintains a five-year capital improvement plan funded through revenues and special purpose local option sales tax (SPLOST) collections, with no additional debt required at this time.
Economic growth continues to bolster the city’s position, with total assessed value increasing by 70% in the past five years, supported by strong residential and commercial development. Major projects such as Northside Hospital Gwinnett’s new tower, The Lawrence – Lawrenceville’s new downtown hotel, and industrial expansions are expected to bring thousands of jobs and further strengthen the local economy.
Chief Financial Officer Keith Lee noted that the reports validate the city’s financial discipline. “Both agencies pointed to what we’ve worked hard to build—healthy reserves, smart debt decisions, and a strategy that balances growth with caution. Moody’s specifically noted the strength of our fund balance and the stability provided by utility operations, which make up the majority of our revenue. It’s not flashy, but it works. This kind of validation reinforces that our long game is paying off.”
Johnson honors First Senior Center
Congressman Hank Johnson has honored First Senior Center of Georgia (FSCofGA) in Norcross with the H.O.P.E. (Helping Other People Elevate) Awards.
FSCofGA founder and CEO Von Tran expressed pride and gratitude for the recognition, saying, “This has been an incredible year for all of us at First Senior Center of Georgia. Receiving this award from Congressman Johnson is not only an honor for me, it also means that the most vulnerable population of our community, our seniors, are seen, and the hard work of our staff and volunteers are recognized.”
At the ceremony, Congressman Hank Johnson praised FSCofGA, saying, “Our nonprofits are the backbone of this country, providing critical service and support that improves communities and saves lives.”
The Age of Innocence, by Edith Wharton
By Susan McBrayer, Sugar Hill: Edith Wharton, the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize, was a product of New York’s upper class and wrote about life in the late 1800s during a time called ‘The Gilded Age.’ The Age of Innocence is set in New York when America is undergoing rapid change. The rich are getting unimaginably rich and an emerging middle class is acquiring wealth and catching up with them. The book centers around a young man who is a product of this society and doesn’t question it until he meets a European countess. Shocked by the countess’s ideas of how silly and restrictive she thinks New York society is, he begins to think about his life differently. He starts dreading the idea of doing the same thing in the same place with the same people every single day. But can he break out of his gilded cage? Read it and see.
- An invitation: what books, restaurants, movies or web sites have you enjoyed recently? Send us your recent selection, along with a short paragraph (150 words) as to why you liked this, plus what you plan to visit or read next. Click here to send an email.
Author Manley wrote about Southern characters
The author of poems, plays, novels, and short stories, Frank Manley wrote mostly about southern characters in marginal encounters that force them to engage spiritual questions or dilemmas of faith and reason.
Manley grew up in Atlanta during the years before World War II (1941-45) and emerged as a southern writer much later, midway through what could be considered his first career, as professor of Renaissance English literature at Emory University. He received various awards for his creative writing, including two Georgia Author of the Year awards (one for fiction and one for short stories/anthologies), a National Endowment for the Arts fellowship, and first prize at the 1985 Humana Festival of New American Plays.
Manley was born in Scranton, Penn., on November 13, 1930, the son of Kathryn L. Needham and Aloysius F. Manley. Reared a Roman Catholic, he attended the Marist School in Atlanta, then studied English literature at Emory, earning his B.A. degree in 1952 and his M.A. degree in 1953. In 1952 he married Carolyn Holliday of Decatur, with whom he had two daughters, Evelyn and Mary. After serving as an enlisted man in the U.S. Army from 1952 to 1955, Manley earned his Ph.D. degree in 1959 from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Md., and then taught English at Yale University from 1959 to 1964.
After the publication of his first book, a critical edition of Donne’s The Anniversaries (1963), he returned to Emory as an associate professor of English literature in 1964. Twice a Guggenheim fellow, he remained at Emory until his retirement in 2000. He was named Charles Howard Candler Professor of Renaissance Literature in 1982, and in 1990 he founded Emory’s creative writing program, which he directed from its inception until his retirement.
In the late 1960s and early 1970s Manley began composing poems about family, the historical figures he had studied, and the Gilmer County mountain community where he had built a home. He published his poetry in literary quarterlies and ultimately in a volume entitled Resultances (1980), which won the University of Missouri Press’s Devins Award. A book-length discussion of his poems, Some Poems and Some Talk about Poetry (with fellow Emory professor Floyd Watkins), appeared in 1985.
In a 1985 interview with the Atlanta Constitution, Manley said that he began writing plays simply by chance. He wrote his first play at the suggestion of a colleague in Emory’s theater studies department, who noted the narrative emphasis of Manley’s early attempts at short fiction. Manley thereafter published many of his stories as both dramas and fictional narratives.
Manley’s The Emperors (2001) is a combination of memoir and poetry. The Emperors emerged from Manley’s contemplation of the emperors he was led to consider while editing St. Thomas More’s Dialogue of Comfort against Tribulation (1977). Manley died in Atlanta on November 11, 2009.
- To view the Georgia Encyclopedia article online, go to https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org
This photograph might test your history acumen
Today’s mystery photo will test your history acumen. Describe this photo to yourself, and maybe an idea will pop into your head. Send your answer to this teaser to ebrack2@gmail.com, and include your hometown.
Three of our regulars recognized the last mystery photo. George Graf, Palmyra, Va. said: “The historic Admiral’s House, also known as Quarters A, in Charleston was in a state of disrepair and has been fully restored. The house was built in 1905 to house admirals in the Navy. It’s the second oldest building on the Navy Shipyard and one of the grandest. The structure was inhabited in the 1940s during World War II and in 1996, when the base shut down, the surrounding area quickly declined. The North Charleston’s Finance Committee voted to pay a company $350,000 to redesign the interior and its furnishings in hopes of transforming it from a military dwelling to a Bed and Breakfast.” The photo came from Rebecca Baumann of Lilburn.
Also recognizing the scene were Jay Altman, Columbia, S.C. and Allan Peel of San Antonio, Texas. Peel added: “The City of North Charleston now owns the property and manages it as public space around Riverfront Park. Today, the Admiral’s House is available for weddings and special events, including overnight stays.
“While the Admiral’s House appears as a “typical Southern home”, its uniqueness may be derived from the fact that this early 20th century house was not inhabited by your usual Southern homeowner, plantation family, or wealthy business merchants, but by U.S. Navy commandants. The very first person to live in the Admiral’s House was Edwin Halderman Longnecker (1844–1923), who, ironically, was a captain when he first moved into the house in 1905. He did, however, achieve the rank of Rear Admiral by the time he retired from the Navy in 1910.
“One more thing that is rather unique about this Southern home. It now has an elevator inside! This was added during the $4.3M renovations to ensure that the event venue would be properly accessible to all guests.”
- SHARE A MYSTERY PHOTO: If you have a photo that you believe will stump readers, send it along (but make sure to tell us what it is because it may stump us too!) Click here to send an email and please mark it as a photo submission. Thanks.
CFNEG has best yet gala, raising $450,000
In less than two hours, The Community Foundation for Northeast Georgia (CFNEG) raised $450,000 at its 2025 Good2Give Celebration. This was the highest total in the event’s history. More than 500 guests attended the annual fundraiser, which also marked CFNEG’s 40th anniversary. Among those attending were Ethel and Tom Andersen. She was one of the legacy award recipients, as were Mike Tennant and Timothy Minard. DePriest Waddy, president and CEO of CFNEG says: “We are blessed to be part of an extraordinarily generous community. Prayer is truly guiding us into a season of bounty over the next 40 years.”
Day of Play on Aug. 22 at Lillian Webb Park
Day of Play in Norcross: the City of Norcross is partnering with Live Healthy Gwinnett to bring you Day of Play on Friday, August 22 from 5-7 p.m. at Lillian Webb Park. Engage for a free day of fun, games and community vibes for all ages. From exciting activities to unforgettable moments, there’s something for everyone. Don’t forget your closed-toe shoes—let’s play the day away! For more information, visit aplacetoimagine.com.
Meet Sissy Goff and David Thomas, nationally recognized speakers, bestselling authors, and co-hosts of the popular Raising Boys and Girls podcast, on Friday, August 22, at 9 a.m. at Greater Atlanta Christian School, 1575 Indian Trail Road, Norcross. The event is free and open to the public with registration link: here.
Jazz in the Alley will be Saturday, August 23 in Betty Mauldin Park in Norcross, from 7:40 to 9:30 p.m. Experience the electric vibes of IAMKHEMESTRY, the genre-bending jazz maverick blending trumpet, hip-hop, funk and soul. Bring your lawn chairs or picnic blankets, savor local bites and relax under the stars.
A reading of “Stages of Celebrity” by Pauline Hutchinson will be August 23 at 7 :30 p.m. at the Lionheart Theatre in Norcross. This is a behind-the-scenes night of creativity, conversation and ideas. The admission is free to all.
The 12th annual Extra Mile 5K and one mile run-walk will be held Saturday, August 23, starting at 7 a.m. at Suwanee Town Center. This benefits Annandale at Suwanee. Participation supports individuals with developmental disabilities and acquired brain injuries, while advancing Annandale’s mission to empower every Villager to reach their fullest potential and independence – one gift, one registration, one team and one step at a time.
On Wednesday, August 27, you’re invited to the Norcross to Lilburn Multiuse Trail Study Public Open House to share your ideas on improving safety, mobility and connectivity along the trail corridor. Stop by Norcross Senior Center any time between 4 and 7 p.m. to view concepts, talk with the project team and provide feedback that will help guide the trail’s design and features. Can’t make it in person? You can still make your voice heard by adding comments to the project’s interactive map tool at GwinnettCounty.com/NorcrossLilburnMap.
Join author Ravynn Stringfield as she discusses her newest romance novel, Love in 280 Characters or Less. This will be at the Duluth Branch of Gwinnett County Public Library on August 27 at 6 p.m. Books will be available for purchase and signing.
Join New York Times bestselling author Kyra Davis Lurie as she discusses her new novel, The Great Mann, a poignant retelling of The Great Gatsby. This will be on September 3 at 6 p.m. at the Hooper-Renwick Branch Library in Lawrenceville. Books will be available for purchase and signing.
Georgia’s Historical Recipes is the subject and Valerie J. Frey will speak on September 4 at 6:30 p.m. at the Collins Hill Branch of Gwinnett County Public Library. Frey will discuss her book, Georgia’s Historical Recipes, an exploration of Georgia’s culinary heritage and how it connects us to our present tastes. Books will be available for purchase and signing.
Volunteers needed: Looking for a few good men and women to volunteer for the September 6 British Car Fayre in downtown Norcross. Time: between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m. If interested, send an email to: Bill Aguilar at: wcac04@yahoo.com. Include your name, email and cell number.
GwinnettForum, which has been published online since 2001, is provided to you at no charge every Tuesday and Friday. The publication offers an online community commentary for exploring pragmatic and sensible social, political and economic approaches to improve life in Gwinnett County, Ga. USA. Learn more:
- Editor and publisher: Elliott Brack, 770-840-1003
- Mailing address: P.O. Box 1365, Norcross, Ga. 30091
- Work with us: If you would like to learn about how to be an underwriter to support the publication of GwinnettForum as a community resource for news and commentary, please contact us today.
Subscriptions to GwinnettForum are free.
- Click to subscribe.
- Unsubscribe. We hope you’ll keep receiving the great news and information from GwinnettForum, but if you need to unsubscribe, go to this page and unsubscribe in the appropriate box.
- © 2025, Gwinnett Forum.com.
