PEACHTREE CORNERS, GA (CBS ATLANTA) -
Peachtree Corners Mayor Mike Mason spent his first day on the job making phone calls, responding to emails and even meeting with the city attorney Monday.
He did it all from his own home.
"We actually started business at the Hilton Saturday night, June 30. We met at 11 p.m. and we passed a lot of ordinances then, adjourned and started back up 12:01 a.m. and passed all of the protective ordinances we need to get the city launched," Mason said.
Mason said he's working out of his home because there's a moratorium on business licenses and permits until the end of July. It won't even allow the mayor to move into city hall, which will be located at 147 Technology Parkway.
"We're working with the county on how to make sure that as soon as we finish all of the public hearings, take comment periods, that we can lift the moratorium hopefully before the end of the month and be ready to go," Mason said.
Mason said his top priority on day one is to find a city manager which he hopes to hire in the next couple of weeks. Not only has he not hired a staff, the city hasn't generated any money yet.
"Gwinnett County is doing our tax bills for us and it's a great rate. Its $3,500 bucks, less than $4,000 to send out our tax bills," Mason said.
Those bills will go out in the fall and require residents to pay about $120 on a $300,000 home. The mayor said those tax dollars should start trickling in by the end of the year.
"There's a certain sense of duty that just strikes you and you realize, this is serious," Mason said.
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