WARNER ROBINS, Ga. — On Wednesday, Warner Robins Mayor LaRhonda Patrick held the State of the City at the Museum of Aviation.
"Our city is growing and progressing," she said.
Patrick's speech focused on the city's need to become more innovative. She wants to think not only of the city's present but also of its future. On Tuesday, the city celebrated its 81st birthday.
"The city of Warner Robins is the best place to live, work, and play in the state of Georgia," Patrick said.
Here are three major takeaways from the address.
1. Budget increased for 2024
One of the city's accomplishments was its budget increases.
The city's budget was $147.2 million in 2022 and $143.8 million in 2023. Patrick says the decrease was because the city cut out some wasteful spending.
The budget for 2024 is $165 million. Patrick said this increase came because they were able to find money and apply it to the budget. The city also saw an increase in revenue in the past year.
During her speech, Patrick said the city is doing well financially and making more money than it is spending.
2. Creating a sense of place with more events in Warner Robins
Patrick said they were also working to hold more city events in the coming year. This comes with a continued focus on developing a downtown in Commercial Circle.
"Downtown is on its way, and there's nothing that's going to get in our way or stop it," Patrick said.
When Patrick came into office, she said Warner Robins owned less than an acre of the area in Commercial Circle. Now, the city owns 81% of the area.
Previously, the city only held one big event: The Warner Robins Independence Day Concert.
Now, the city has over 26 official events.
Patrick is hoping to make The International City Experience the next signature event for Warner Robins, in addition to the Independence Day Concert. The festival has been rescheduled to May 4.
3. Working to bring new things to Warner Robins including an amphitheater
In the coming years, Patrick says Warner Robins will be seeing Parks and Recreation upgrades, a Vietnam Veterans and Gulf War Veterans Memorial, and a new amphitheater.
Patrick says unlike the amphitheater in Macon, the Warner Robins venue would be open to free events.
She also discussed launching a community innovation lab to keep Warner Robins youth engaged and a community activities center.
You can watch the full Warner Robins State of the City event on 13WMAZ's YouTube page.