State of the City 2022 in Review

The state of our city is more compelling than ever before, and we are determined to continue to brighten our community in the coming year and those that follow.

Today's Canton is home to more than 35,000 residents. Businesses have celebrated silver and gold anniversaries, and new entrepreneurs have recently invested in Canton, as they seek to serve our neighbors and our growing local and regional economies. We have community partners working with Team Canton to assist with public safety, judicial and community services, and to provide support to residents across a wide spectrum of backgrounds and needs.

At the end of the day, we all are working together to write Canton's compelling narrative — a story we should take great pride in telling for generations to follow.

When I was elected Mayor in 2019, I promised to work with our citizens to build the Canton that we all aspired to see. In collaboration with our City Council and after understanding the needs and wishes of our community, we created and launched the Roadmap for Success in 2020.

Eight distinct tenets form the basis on which we review business at every Council meeting, explore opportunities for capital investment, determine priorities for spending, create and tweak public programming, and task our city manager with operating our city.

As we move into the development of the next phase of our Roadmap, we will continue to engage our citizens as cocreators in the future of our community.

Eight Tenets of the Roadmap
for Success ­— Last Year's Progress

1. Creating Great Neighborhoods
• $1M SUPPORT in agreement with the Canton Housing Authority for a 9% Income Housing Tax Credits application
• 1.98 ACRES for a potential small cottage residential project at Laurel Canyon
• $2.8M COMMITTED in a low interest loan for the Shipp Street housing redevelopment, including a new community park
• 251 UNITS approved for an age-restricted affordable housing project within the Riverstone Master Plan
• 280 UNITS approved for a multifamily residential project as part of The Mill on Etowah Master Plan
• 124 UNITS approved new single-family residential development off Dr. John T. Pettit Drive
2. Celebrating Diversity
• 13 BUSINESSES owned by diverse populations have joined in the launch of Connecting Canton Program
• 30 VENDORS at CanTeen-hosted Young Persons Job Fair
• 11 NATIONS represented Canton's growing diversity at second annual Multicultural Festival
3. Advancing Regional Economic Success
• 39.5 ACRES adjacent to Park Village purchased for light industrial, office, residential, and commercial development
• 172 LICENSES of New Occupation issued in Canton
• 37 PROPOSALS pending for 400 jobs and $89M in capital investment, 53 property listings on ZoomProspector
• 903 EVENTS occurred in Canton in 2022
• $600K FUNDING from Appalachian Regional Commission for a pedestrian trail bridge
• 325 ACRES of property purchased at Lake Canton
4. Enhancing Historic Downtown Canton
• 13 BUSINESSES are new to downtown
• 790 EVENTS have been held downtown, including events hosted by local businesses
• 22 CERTIFICATES of Appropriateness issued
• 4 FILM PERMITS issued, including A Friend of the Family, currently streaming on Peacock
5. Sustaining Our Natural Environment
• 5 EV STATIONS installed in the downtown parking deck, providing 10 potential charging ports
• 100+ VOLUNTEERS in attendance at Rivers Alive Etowah River Cleanup Day
• 150 BAGS of trash collected from the Etowah River on Cleanup Day
6. Connecting Citizens to Parks and Recreation
• 112 EVENTS relating to Parks and Recreation
• 6.2 ACRES purchased for first City park in south Canton
7. Improving Infrastructure
Some major accomplishments include:
• Continued design and environmental analysis of SR 140
• Completed the Canton Transportation Master Plan, including opportunities for public input and project prioritization
• Continued Water Pollution Control Plant expansion project that allows modernization and efficiencies of wastewater treatment
8. Leading With Excellence
• 21 YEARS of continuous GFOA Budget Awards
• 935 REQUESTS for FOIA information processed $20/hour starting base compensation for all City employees

• 872 YEARS of combined service by City staff