Business View Civil Municipal - Sept 2023

Mallon speaks of what drew him to Fayette County. “I moved here deliberately, after being familiar with the Atlanta region,” he says. “There are a handful of things that brought me here. The safety of Fayette County kind of trumps everything for me, from a family perspective. I wanted an opportunity where we could live, shop and work without any safety concerns for me and my family. We moved here when weI had young kids, so education was equally important.” Fayette County has one of the top education programs in the state, Mallon adds. He also cites the county’s development and land-use control. “We joke, in public works, that when you drive into Fayette County from a neighboring county, we want the driver to say, ‘Wow, what’s changed? Why do things suddenly look nicer or feel better, and the pavement is smoother?’” he continues. FAYET TE COUNT Y, GA “We can’t always achieve that, but that’s our goal.” Godbee cites doings in the Parks and Rec department. She praises the members of the local community for appreciating their parks. “We do have some older parks,” she says, “but we are constantly upgrading them, maintaining them, and doing what it takes to make sure that they’re attractive for our citizens, as well as anyone who enters our county. The citizens understand the importance of parks and recreation and appreciate the fact that they have nice facilities throughout the county.” “We hear it all the time from some of the individuals who visit our parks. They say, ‘We feel safe when we come to your parks. That’s the reason why we come here and walk. We exercise, and we participate in your programs,’ and our citizens say the same thing.”