More Forums Scheduled for Macon Violence Prevention Initiative
Thursday, July 15th, 2021
Our community leaders have added a few more public forums as part of the Macon Violence Prevention (MVP) initiative. Mayor Pro Tem and District 5 Commissioner Seth Clark, District 1 Commissioner Valerie Wynn, and Macon Mental Health Matters will all hold forums within the next few weeks. The first MVP public forum is set for Thursday, July 15 with Commissioner Al Tillman at the Macon Mall, joined by Commissioner Virgil Watkins and Macon Water Authority Board Member Desmond Brown. Below is the schedule of the first six forums.
District 9
Commissioner Al Tillman
Thursday, July 15 * 6:30 p.m.
Macon Mall * 3661 Eisenhower Parkway
(2nd floor, enter between Ole Times Country Buffet and B Turner’s. Turn right.)
District 7
Commissioner Bill Howell
Thursday, July 22 * 5:00 p.m.-6:30 p.m.
Mikado Baptist Church * 6751 Houston Road
District 5
Commissioner Seth Clark
Frank Johnson Community Center * 2227 Mercer University Drive
Monday, July 26 * 6:00 p.m.
Macon Mental Health Matters
Moderated by Andrea Cooke and Zack Williams
Panel: Mayor Lester Miller, Commissioner Virgil Watkins, Rebecca Richard, Chris Carter, & Erion Smith
Booker T. Washington Community Center * 401 Monroe Street
Wednesday, July 28 * 6:30 p.m.
District 6
Commissioner Raymond Wilder
Lizella Baptist Church * 2950 S Lizella Road
Thursday, July 29 * 6:00 p.m.
District 1
Commissioner Valerie Wynn
Forest Hills United Methodist Church * 1217 Forest Hill Road
Thursday, August 5 * 6:30 p.m.
“We are inviting everyone out to these forums because we cannot do this alone. We need your opinions, your efforts, and your support if we are going to make every neighborhood safe,” says Commissioner Tillman. “If we’re going to fix what is happening in our community when it comes to crime, we need to talk to people who are living in the middle of all of this.”
"The first step to addressing the public health problem of violence in Macon-Bibb County is for public officials to listen,” says Mayor Pro Tem Clark. “This forum is a safe space for those affected by violence to talk directly to their government about what they experience and what it does to our community, so that we can all address it, together. I look forward to the conversation."
"We're developing our strategic plan for MVP and soliciting our community's input to move forward" says Commissioner Watkins. "We need our neighbors to be part of this initiative in order to make it successful."
“Each one of us is a stakeholder in MVP. The upcoming forum is your opportunity to share your concerns and solution to this problem plaguing our community,” says Commissioner Howell. “I’m hoping everyone comes out and makes their voices heard.”
“The goal is to give the community a guided conversation about solutions for the crime we are experiencing,” says Andrea Cooke with Macon Mental Health Matters. “We will then use the suggestions to help develop strategies for community buy-in.”
“We want to help make people more aware of the issues with violence in our County and discuss ways to address the issue,” says Commissioner Wilder. “This is a great opportunity for all of us to come together and make this community safer now and for future generations.”
