LBA would like to thank Councilman Emil Powella and DDA/Planning Commission Chairman Hugh Wilkerson for a very informative presentation about the Lilburn City Government and Boards/Authorities. The items below include information from that presentation as well as the City website.
How is Lilburn’s City Government structured?
Lilburn, like many of the surrounding cities, has a Council/City Manager system of government. There is a Legislative Branch that makes the laws, an executive branch that carries out the laws and a judicial branch that evaluates the laws.
What is the role of the Mayor and Council in relation to the City Council?
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The Mayor serves as the head of the Legislative Branch.
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The Mayor only votes when there is a tie.
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The Mayor and Council create policy and provide direction
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Approve the budget
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Set the millage rate
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Hire the City Manager
What does the City Manager do?
The City Manager is the CEO of the City whose job is to manage all divisions of city government on a day-to-day basis.
Who is elected and who is appointed?
The citizens of Lilburn elect the Mayor and City Council. The Mayor/City Council appoints the City Attorney, the Municipal Judge and the Solicitor as well as members of the Downtown Development Authority (DDA), the Planning Commission, Zoning Board of Appeals and the Merit Board. The Council also hires the City Manager.
What is the role of the Planning Commission?
The Planning Commission serves in an advisory role. They review development recommendations, zoning requests and City Update plans. They are the first to vet staff analysis for requests. They then recommend to the City Council to approve or deny a development request.
What is the DDA and what is its role?
City governments cannot buy and sell property for development so the concept of the DDA or Downtown Development Authority was created. This is an authority established by state law and enacted by the city council that can buy, sell and develop properties in a defined geography. The members are appointed by the City Council. This entity is useful in assembling parcels of property for larger projects. It is a way to promote the highest and best use of target businesses or developments in a designated area.
What are the benefits to living in the City?
If you check your real estate tax bill from Gwinnett County, you will notice you do not pay the county for police protection. Lilburn has its own police force which is included on your City Tax bill. The Lilburn police response time is as fast as 2 minutes much faster than is possible for the county police. The City police are also responsible for code enforcement.
Our Public Works services include the Chipper service and clearance of roads from storm debris. If a tree is blocking a City road, contact the City anytime for removal.
The city seeks partnership with the business community, the faith community, the Homeowner’s Associations and the residents to evaluate and implement projects.
The City believes citizen engagement is key to long-term success. Opportunities for engagement include:
When are the regularly scheduled meetings?
- City Council - 2nd Monday - 7:30 pm
- Planning Commission - 4th Tuesday 7pm
- DDA - 3rd Wednesday at 6:30 pm
