State of the City: Doing well, challenges ahead

Johns Creek is doing well, Mayor Mike Bodker told a Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce audience and that is not his opinion - it's the City's citizens.

Bodker delivered his second annual "State of the City" address Jan. 28, noting that in a survey done last fall, the vast majority of respondents felt the City is heading in the right direction and approve of the job being done by elected officials as well as the Police and Public Works.

The Mayor shared highlights for 2008 and plans for 2009, while cautioning that economic conditions may limit City achievements in the coming year.

Read complete text of speech  |  View PowerPoint presentation (4.0 MB)

April 1 deadline to file Homestead Exemptions

Homeowners have until April 1 to file Homestead Exemption applications with Fulton County. Only those who have not applied previously or qualify for new exemptions need to fill out the paperwork.

There are four categories of exemptions:  Basic, Senior Basic, Additional Senior and Full Value. To qualify for any exemption, homeowners must have owned and occupied their home as their primary residence as of January 1.

Applications must be filed with the Fulton County Board of Assessors, not the City. Read more.

Time to renew business tax certificates

Businesses in the City have until March 31, 2009 to renew their business tax certificates by submitting a business tax return with full payment of all fees and taxes due. Renewal applications were mailed the last week in December and a second notice will be mailed mid-February.

Failure to receive a renewal application does not relieve a business of its responsibility to pay the tax by the deadline. Late payments are subject to a 10 percent penalty and interest of 1.5 percent a month. Questions? Contact Revenue, 678-512-3200.

"Johns Creek 101" class returns this spring

The Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce's popular "Johns Creek 101" class series returns April 28. The 4-class series provides a quick and fun way to meet the people who run the City, find out what they do and learn exactly how the City came to be.

Classes run from 9:30 am to noon on consecutive Tuesdays:  April 28, May 5, May 12 and May 19. Class size is limited to 45 people. The last session filled up fast so register soon at www.gnfcc.com/events.

For more information contact Sarah Christenson at 678-397-0562 or schristenson@gnfcc.com.

City's 1st 'Go Green–Be Green' 5K run March 14

Johns Creek's first "Go Green-Be Green" 5k Fun/Run takes place in Technology Park/Johns Creek on Saturday, March 14. Registration begins at 6:45 am and the starting gun sounds at 8. Entry fee is $20 (until March 7); $25 afterward and day of race.

Presented by Recreation & Parks, "Go Green–Be Green" features organic refreshments, music and environmentally conscious benefits for race participants, including organic cotton t-shirts and race bags with eco-conscious products.

All proceeds benefit Johns Creek Beautification, a non-profit organization dedicated to the beautification of public spaces in Johns Creek.

Visit www.rungeorgia.com or Active.com for race info and registration.

Johns Creek joins "Relay For Life" April 17-18

As the American Cancer Society celebrates its 25th anniversary of "Relay for Life," the City joins the effort hosting its first edition of the fund-raiser April 17-18.

The event takes place from 7 pm to 7 am at Taylor Road Middle School, capping a four-month local fund-raising effort going on now to fight cancer and raise awareness of cancer prevention and treatment. See how you can get involved.

Creek Arts Scene

The Johns Creek community is fortunate to have a wide variety of outstanding fine arts organizations offering theater, dance, music, visual arts and much more. We are happy to provide calendar listings for these arts events.

To get information about upcoming performances, exhibits, workshops and other arts activities, please visit our online calendar and select "Library & Arts" from the "Select Category" dropdown in the calendar banner.

Check out coming events from the Academy of the Arts School of Ballet, Autrey Mill Nature Preserve and Heritage Center and the Johns Creek Symphony Orchestra.