Here's your City of Canton August 2022 e-Newsletter

August 2022 News & Updates

The Mayor's Moment | Budget for Success

As our kids go back to school and summer’s final chapter begins to unfold, your Mayor, Council, and Team Canton are busy planning for a new fiscal year that begins October 1.

You may have heard that we already adopted our mileage rate for next year, maintaining the lowest in Cherokee County and in our City’s history at 5.4 mils. Just like all of us, the City is dealing with inflation and higher costs at every level, but our strategic roadmap and excellent fiscal management continue to allow us to move #CantonForward in a responsible and thoughtful manner.

This brings me to the FY23 budget that is, once again, aligned with our Roadmap for Success. The proposed FY23 budget includes up to 20 percent increase on employee benefits that represent only the employer share. There is an increase of 14 percent in gasoline and oil, 39 percent increase in natural gas and 12 percent increase in electricity. These increases are a majority of the expenditure increases. In keeping with our roadmap tenet of Leading with Excellence, we are increasing our minimum starting wage of $20/hour for hourly workers, and the City is implementing Cherokee County’s first true step/grade pay system for our Police Department to place Canton above the market for public service in the region and awards our seasoned officers for their service.

When it comes to visible progress, the City will start, continue, or complete the following capital projects during the upcoming fiscal year: Etowah River Trail System Westward Connector (Heritage Park to Boling Park), Water Pollution Control Plant Expansion, flocculator replacement and intake screen projects at the Bobby Bishop Water Treatment Plant, automated meter infrastructural enhancement program, a booster pump station at Canton- Cherokee Industrial Park, a new elevated water storage tank in South Canton, Ridge Pine Drive water line replacement, State Route 140 and Avery Road water line replacement, Harmon Park improvements and expansion, design of the Etowah River Pedestrian Bridge from the new Westward Trail Connector, continued design of expansions for road capacity on State Route 140 in North Canton, road paving projects across the City, Laurel Canyon innovative housing project, sidearm enhancements for the Canton Police Department, HVAC redesign at City Hall, and continuing the vehicle lease program, to name just a few.

As I stated in our last Council meeting, I could not be happier to see so many of the projects we’ve been discussing over the past couple of years included in the FY23 budget. By next October, I believe we will have completed the majority of the primary projects, and many others, included in our Roadmap for Success, a 15-year plan that had originally projected a completion date of 2035. Budgets are never a lot of fun for any of us, but our team does a great job. With a crystal-clear roadmap, vision, and strategy for continuing to enhance the quality of life and business in Canton, our successes and investment in a better future are truly worth celebrating. I hope you all have a great August!

Take Notes: It's Back to School for Cherokee County!

Save the Date - Sept. 10: Canton Multicultural Fest

Save the date, Sat., Sept. 10, for the second annual Canton Multicultural Festival!

Etowah River Park will come alive from 8AM-3PM with a 5k, music, food, arts, sports, and entertainment featuring cultures from around the world. Immerse yourself in the experience to learn and have fun!

More details will be available soon at www.cantonga.gov/events

Do you like to Moo've it, Moo've it?

The 9th Annual Chick-fil-A Cherokee County is the largest race in North Georgia, and this year it will be on Aug. 13, from 7-10AM, at Etowah River Park in Canton!

"The CFA 5K benefits two local charities: Cherokee County Special Olympics and the Cherokee County Educational Foundation," said Stefanie Gibbons, Marketing Director. "Every dollar that is raised stays local to benefit our schools and students through these amazing charities!"

Race day is a fun family event with so much entertainment. There will be a live cow named Bessie to pet, face painting, a balloon maker, giveaways, not to mention, cheering on all the runners! Prizes will be awarded to the top runners, along with:

The best dressed cow will win Chick-fil-A for a year, as well as a $500 CCEF grant to the Cherokee County school of their choice; and
The largest team registered will win a $500 CCEF grant to a Cherokee County school of their choice.

You can register for the 5K, 1 mile, or as a ghost runner (no running required) by visiting

www.cfamooveit.com. All registrants will enjoy a FREE Chick-fil-A biscuit prior to race time!

TGIF! It's First Friday!

Join your friends in Downtown Canton this Friday, Aug. 5, from 6-10PM, for a family friendly fun night filled with live entertainment with Bumpin' The Mango!

Enjoy late night shopping, restaurants ready to welcome you, Kids Zone, Moving Target ATL Axe Throwing, food and beverage vendors along Main Street, and a CRUISE-IN!

Don't forget your chair and dancin' shoes and get ready to groove the night away!

Let's River-Rock and Roll!

The River Rock Summer Concert & Festival wraps up the series Aug. 27 with a special performance by fan favorite Electric Avenue! This FREE and family-friendly event is at Etowah River Park in the amphitheater from 6-10PM.

Along with the concert, the event features food trucks, beverage vendors, a children's area and inflatables, and much more! Bring your family, friends, lawn chairs, and coolers (no glass or tents please!), and get ready to rock!

Electric Avenue

We don’t get to repeat even one minute of our time here, but what if you could relive all the youthful energy and sonic celebration that was 1980s? Electric Avenue® 'The 80's MTV Experience' is hands down, the most fun and accurate tribute to 1980s New Wave & Dance Floor Pop that you're going to find, anywhere. Every sound. Every nuance. Every time.