On Jan. 21, the city of Cartersville received a 2018 Live, Work, Play City Award presented by the Georgia Municipal Association (GMA), in conjunction with Georgia Trend magazine, during GMA’s annual Mayors’ Day conference in Atlanta.
There were a total of nine cities in three population categories—small (population under 4,999), Medium (5,000-24,999) and Large (more than 25,000)—that received this year’s award. These cities will be featured in the February 2018 issue of Georgia Trend.
Recipients of the 2018 Live, Work, Play Cities Award:
Small City Winners
- Chickamauga
- Porterdale
- Summerville
Medium City Winners
- Cartersville
- Decatur
- Thomasville
Large City Winners
- Athens-Clarke County
- Columbus
- LaGrange
Though each city provides different services, contest judges praised the winning cities for their success in advancing job creation, housing offerings, and recreational amenities. Judges for the 2018 Live, Work, Play Cities Award represented Georgia Power’s office of Community & Economic Impact, the Department of Community Affairs and the University of Georgia’s Carl Vinson Institute of Government. In addition to being recognized during GMA’s Mayors’ Day, winning cities will be highlighted in the association’s monthly newspaper, Georgia’s Cities.
“These nine cities truly embody well-rounded communities that benefit residents and businesses alike,” said GMA Executive Director Larry Hanson. “They also serve as examples for local governments across Georgia. Officials in these cities have demonstrated advanced problem-solving, exceptional management and teamwork to increase the overall quality of life for all residents. GMA is honored to serve all of our member cities and especially proud of these award recipients.”
Based in Atlanta, GMA is a voluntary, non-profit organization that provides legislative advocacy, research, training, employee benefit and technical consulting services to its 521 member cities.