STRATEGIC PLAN

INTRODUCTION

            Paulding County has become one of the fastest growing bedroom communities in the nation.  This growth brings new opportunities, but also new costs:  traffic, air pollution, crowded schools, demands for increased services and a loss of community identity.  We invite you to pay particular attention to the Case for Change on pages 5 through 8.

            To meet these challenges a group of citizens along with the Paulding County Chamber of Commerce in 2002 formed a Strategic Planning Committee that developed into Planning for Paulding, Inc.  After months of interviews and investigation the group chose Henry Luke of Luke Planning, Inc. as the facilitator to head this process.  Luke has helped groups in other cities and counties across the country come up with long range plans, including groups in Rockdale, Clayton, Dekalb, Cobb and Gwinnett counties.

            A Steering Committee representative of the community was selected to guide the process.  Further, in September and October of 2003 over 100 individuals were interviewed by the facilitator.  Then, on October 21, 2003 over 200 people attended a Community Meeting, where the participants selected their Top 10 Issues and 334 Total Issues to be considered for inclusion into a Strategic Plan for the county.

            Funding partners for the group thus far include:  Greystone Power, Community Trust Bank, Georgia Power, Cobb EMC, TEMCO/Cousins Properties, HomeTown Bank, Georgia State Bank, Regions Bank, Rountree Law Firm, Raker Construction, Arrowhead Development, Sunbelt Fasteners, and Jeriel Properties.

            The driving force is for Paulding County to be more than just another bedroom community.  This process gives the citizens of Paulding County a vehicle to have a voice in the future of their community and a vehicle to make it happen.  Happy are those who dream dreams and are willing to pay the price to make them come true.