Macon Mayor Lester Miller got elected in 2020, after serving on the Bibb County School Board for two terms. Miller is a lifelong Maconite, graduating from Southwest High School and getting both his bachelor degree and law degree from Mercer University. Since becoming mayor, he has focused on a range of issues, including an aggressive push on blight in Macon and public safety. Miller is up for re-election this year, facing a challenger in Shekita Maxwell, a chemist with the Food and Drug Administration. On Thursday, Miller gave the annual State of the Community address, a chance to speak to leaders from across Macon heading into the real election season and lay out his record so far, as well as look ahead to what is next.
“It’s a great day…a new day…thanks to each of you,” said Mayor Miller. “Just like you can’t ignore the sunrise and the promise of a new day that it brings, you can’t ignore the progress we’re all making and the impact it will have on our future.“
More than 700 people turned out for the event at the Macon City Auditorium, hosted by the Greater Macon Chamber of Commerce. “You can’t ignore the people of our community. The ones who live here, who call this place home, who raise their families here, who go to events here, who patronize our businesses and restaurants, who help and support others in need,” he said. These are “the people who understand our history. Who know our strength and potential. Who understand our challenges and know the solutions to overcome them. Who know each of us and our shared story, and how we are working together to take advantage of this new day.”
Miller noted a number of successes, notably around crime – a historic drop in the homicide rate – and economic revitalization. The ball has continued to move on Georgia’s first national park, something that might be finalized during the term of whoever is the next Macon mayor. Even the news of the national park process has likely increased visitation to the area, somewhere around 200,000 annually now according to a report commissioned by the National Parks Conservation Association. What began as a goal of removing 30 blighted houses in 30 days, the Blight Fight initiative in Macon has now hit 700 properties. Miller also noted the thousands of people served by the Brookdale Resource Center and Macon Mental Health Matters.
There is no public polling on the race so far, but Miller has seemed to be a popular mayor. Maxwell has not been overly critical of Miller yet but is not shying away from the race issue in her campaign. She recently told Macon television WMAZ “Representation matters. In a city, majority African-Americans, not dismissive from anyone else- we need to have leadership that reflects us, and looks like us.”
To see the Mayor’s full remarks: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqdX9FKucPU
