The year in Gwinnett

Gwinnett County was often an epicenter of controversy in 2009. A new baseball stadium, tax protests, land deals, a grand jury investigation and a late-year property tax hike spurred thousands to speak out and share their ideas on how government ought to be run. Here's a chronological trip back through the turbulent year in the state's second-most populous county.

Jan. 6 -- County commissioners pass a $1.38 billion interim budget.

Jan. 15 -- In his annual State of the County address, County Commission Chairman Charles Bannister says: "Considering the times, the state of Gwinnett County is not only strong, it is remarkably strong."

Jan. 27 -- Lilburn pitches an annexation proposal that would double its population and geographic size. City leaders quickly abandon the plan after residents balk.

Feb. 23 -- Final proposed 2009 county budget unveiled that calls for $1.6 billion in spending and adds 136 new positions, all in public safety.

April 17 -- Gwinnett Braves play their first minor league game in their new stadium in Buford, a 7-4 loss to Norfolk.

April 21 -- The county school board tentatively approves a $2 billion 2010 budget that covers more schools and students with less local funding.

May 5 -- The county approves purchasing 33 acres near Lawrenceville for $2.3 million, twice the county's own appraised value for the property.

May 13 -- The federal Drug Enforcement Administration announces the seizure of 351 pounds of crystal methamphetamine from two Gwinnett County homes. The drugs were valued at about $6 million -- the agency's largest methamphetamine seizure east of the Mississippi River.

May 18 -- Gwinnett County proposes a 25 to 28 percent higher tax rate on property, with city residents carrying the most burden.

May 26 -- Nearly 200 residents pour into the courthouse for a public hearing on the proposed tax rate increase.

June 1 -- About 300 residents gather at Suwanee Town Center Park to increase pressure to balance the county budget without raising property taxes.

June 2 --  County commissioners reject the proposed tax increase and tell department heads to make more cuts.

June 4 -- The AJC learns Gwinnett County District Attorney Danny Porter threatened a grand jury investigation against the County Commission if it had agreed to pay $5.2 million for a 16-acre tract of right-of-way for the McGinnis Ferry Road extension project near Suwanee.

June 9 --  Snellville City Council announces a settlement in its yearlong crematory saga that triggers a state law preventing crematories from within 1,000 feet of residential subdivisions.

June 16 -- Commissioners pass a measure to cut more than $20 million from the county budget to keep the property tax rate from climbing.

July 4 -- Lake Lanier is nearly back to normal as spring rains replenish the reservoir after nearly two years of drought.

July 8 -- The Gwinnett County Public Library announces plans to close two days a week, reduce hours and cut programs.

July 21 --  The county approves a plan for $225 million in budget cuts over five years and says it will eliminate 250 jobs in 2009, including 50 police.

July 22 -- The water department announces plans to bring down the towers that have stood as sentries on the south entrance to the county for more than 30 years.

Aug. 4 -- Commissioners reject a proposed land purchase for 16 acres of right-of-way that had drawn the threat of a grand jury investigation.

Aug. 11 -- The library board votes to close the Dacula Branch Library to free up staffing for the new $7.4 million Hamilton Mill Library.

Aug. 12 --  County administrator Jock Connell announces he will step down at the end of the year. Glenn Stephens, director of the county's Planning and Development Department, is named as his replacement.

Sept. 1 -- Deadline passes for the county to garner the lion's share of money from the sale of naming rights for the Gwinnett Braves Stadium in Lawrenceville. Marketing the stadium now becomes the task of the Braves organization.

Sept. 1 -- Gwinnett leads other major metro governments in stimulus funding by nearly twice, having received $120 million in federal grants since the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act was enacted in February.

Sept. 16 -- In his first-ever mid-year State of the County speech, Commission Chairman Bannister says plans for the future are in for a major overhaul in the wake of budget shortfalls and mandates against property tax increases.

Sept. 22 -- The library board backs away from closing the Dacula branch, then approves a plan to restructure into a regional operation.

Oct. 6 -- County Commissioner Kevin Kenerly says he has heard enough complaints from residents and department heads to explore a tax increase to restore some services cut from the 2009 budget.

Oct. 6 -- Three county commissioners send library board members a letter threatening to disband the advisory group if they do not reverse their decision to restructure the library system into a regional operation.

Oct. 8 -- The Gwinnett School District unveils plans to revise attendance zones to relieve overcrowding.

Oct. 21 -- The library board shelves its plan to restructure the library system, opting to maintain neighborhood libraries as they are, with reduced hours.

Oct. 23 -- Officials unveil details of a plan to increase the county's portion of property taxes by about 21 percent. The proposal would generate $52.6 million in additional revenue to help operations pared earlier this year.

Nov. 10 -- A special grand jury is empaneled to investigate the county commission's land purchases over four years.

Nov. 18 -- The Lilburn City Council rejects a rezoning proposal by the local Muslim congregation of Dar-E-Abbas for a giant mosque in a city neighborhood. The decision pleases hundreds of residents, but it prompts a lawsuit against the city.

Nov. 24 -- Commissioners reveal negotiations to privatize Briscoe Field, the fifth-busiest airport in the state.

Dec. 1 -- Commissioners approve a nearly 21 percent increase in the county's share of property taxes.

Dec. 10 -- Commission Chairman Bannister proposes a $1.3 billion budget for 2010, down $387 million from the 2009 budget. It anticipates keeping the property tax rate at 13.25 mills.