Gwinnett legislators are keeping their eyes on anticipated budget cuts for 2020.
Gov. Brian Kemp has demanded state agencies cut their budgets by 4% this year and 6% next year, leaving workers concerned about their jobs. Position eliminations and pay cuts are expected to be part of the overall reduction in government spending.
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Gwinnett residents have expressed their concerns to local legislators about how the budget cuts could impact them, said Rep. Brenda Lopez, D-Norcross. Lopez was one of many local elected officials at the Gwinnett Chamber’s legislative outlook lunch Wednesday.
“Cuts to agencies and services are brought up constantly [by constituents],” Lopez told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “‘Do you know if my job is going to be cut? Am I going to be furloughed?’ We have to ask people to be our eyes and ears and let us know what they need.”
The chamber event discussed national and global trends, and how they will affect Georgia and metro Atlanta. A significant issue in Gwinnett continues to be transit and transportation; when Chris Clark, president and CEO of the Georgia Chamber, said one million more cars would be on Atlanta roads in the next 10 years, the audience responded with a mix of groans and uncomfortable laughter.
A second MARTA referendum, following March's failed vote, has not been scheduled, but a recent report from the county's transit committee indicated Gwinnett could hold one in November 2020.
Gwinnett, like much of the world, is undergoing “rapid urbanization,” Clark said. The county is expected to have 1.48 million residents by 2050, and will be the largest county in Georgia, according to Atlanta Regional Commission projections.
“If you think things are tough getting around now, just wait,” Clark said.
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