Canton's 2021 State of the City Address

Even while responding to the pandemic, we achieved our goal of adopting our Roadmap for Success in December. This strategic plan will guide our city's development for the next 15 years, and the input we received from our citizens was invaluable. Now, the challenging, yet exciting, work of implementing the Roadmap begins, as we adhere to eight guiding tenets. Last year, we were able to move Canton forward in these areas with some major accomplishments.

Select Accomplishments From 2020

1. Creating Great Neighborhoods
• Completed Canton's Citywide Housing Assessment
• Completed top-coating of streets in Great Sky, Laurel Canyon, Towne Mill, Iris Park, Norton Lake, and Park Village
• Issued 481 Residential Construction Permits
• Issued 459 Residential Certificates of Occupancy

2. Celebrating the Diversity of Our Community
• Launched the Diversity & Inclusion Task Force
• Created a Citizen Participation Application for board and commissions appointments
• Translated key documents to Spanish including the City budget, Roadmap for Success, and "New Business Guide"
• Launched the Public Safety Citizens Advisory Board

3. Advancing Regional Economic Success
• Continued the expansion of Northside Hospital Cherokee
• Cherokee Office of Economic Development approved a new 50-acre corporate park
• State to perform an upcoming Canton Tourism Study
• License to Recovery program refunded $175,000 to 250 locally owned small businesses
• Issued 95 Commercial Certificates of Occupancy
• Updated "Guide to Starting a Business"
• Issued 166 new Business Licenses

4. Enhancing Historic Downtown Canton
• Retail, restaurants, and offices opened at The Mill on Etowah
• Invested $40,000 in downtown due to Downtown Gift Card match
• Continued growth in downtown film projects
• 18 new downtown businesses opened during the pandemic

5. Sustaining Natural Resources
• Completed design and awarded a bid to construct a new sewer plant
• Encouraged planting native species for new development
• Established LAMA software for online submission of building plans, licenses, and permits

6. Connecting Citizens to Parks and Recreation
• Completed the Etowah River Trail eastward from Etowah River Park and under I-575
• Received a grant from Atlanta United Foundation for a mini-pitch soccer field at Harmon Park
• Received a grant for an outdoor plyometric gym at Heritage Park
• Purchased park land for future trail expansion

7. Improving Infrastructure for Future Demands
• Improved inflow and infiltration of stormwater into the sewer system
• Awarded contract to upgrade the Water Pollution Control Facility from 4MGD to 6MGD
• Received design funding for improvements on SR-140 at Riverstone/Marietta Highway
• Added free public Wi-Fi at City parks

8. Leading With Excellence
• Completed the Roadmap for Canton's Future
• Held two Council retreats
• Continued operations with the lowest millage rate in the area
• Received excellent bond ratings for $9 million in interest savings for the new sewer plant
• Created new monthly newsletters and weekly COVID-19 updates
• Canton Police achieved 26% reduction in crime

For more details regarding each of these tenets, as well as upcoming plans that are on the horizon, please visit CantonGa.gov. There will be challenges ahead, but we now have a clear vision to guide the collective hopes and dreams of our citizens, businesses, and leaders. As always, it's an honor and privilege to serve as your mayor.