(Lawrenceville, Ga., Aug. 31, 2015) – Presentations by county departments and agencies on their business plans and financial resource requests for budget year 2016 get underway on Monday, Aug. 31 this year. The presentations will be heard by the budget review team made up of five Gwinnett residents who have volunteered to help Commission Chairman Charlotte Nash set priorities and make recommendations for the 2016 budget.

New to the committee this year are residents Lisa Burleson and Santiago Marquez, while review team veterans Mark Brock, Burt Manning and Latabia Woodward are returning. Burleson is a retired district level administrator from Gwinnett County Public Schools and Marquez is CFO/VP of the Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and has spent nearly 20 years serving the Latino community both locally and nationally. Brock is building maintenance director for Gwinnett County Public Schools, Manning is a retired real estate appraiser and assessment administrator who has worked in six Georgia counties, and Woodward works as a strategic planning principal for Georgia Power and is the immediate past president of the Gwinnett County Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. Woodward and Burleson are alumni of the first Gwinnett 101: Citizens Academy class held in the spring.

“I am grateful that these five knowledgeable and thoughtful residents have agreed to serve in this capacity,” said Nash. “It is important for the public to have input in local government decisions, and I look forward to working with these individuals and our staff to listen to departmental needs and plans, review revenue projections and develop the 2016 budget.”

The business plan presentations will be recorded for airing on the TVgwinnett government-access cable television channel and viewing on demand at www.tvgwinnett.com. 

The Chairman’s 2016 budget proposal will be available to the public and news media on Nov. 17 prior to a public hearing that will be held on Dec. 7. By county ordinance, the Board of Commissioners must adopt the annual budget during its first meeting in January.