Miller points to progress in annual State of the Community address

Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly reported that Macon-Bibb County saw 39 homicides last year. The correct number is 29. A January 2026 county press release listed both 29 and 39 as the homicide total, and the conflict was not caught before publication. The county confirmed Thursday that 29 is correct. The story has been updated.

Resilient.

That might be the word of the past year for Macon-Bibb County Mayor Lester Miller, who used his recent State of the Community address to recognize the area’s ability to work through challenges — regardless of their size and scope.

The mayor, now in the second year of his second term, touted progress on a number of fronts, including violence reduction, the removal of blighted properties and paving pushes on a number of public roads.

Last year, Macon-Bibb County saw the lowest number of killings in almost a decade, according to Miller. That number, according to a county press release, is 29 homicides.

He credited the reduction in violence to Macon Violence Prevention — also known as MVP — an initiative that uses evidence-based strategies to better public safety.

Despite there already being some violent deaths in 2026, Miller said he sees a future where Macon-Bibb has zero homicides.

At the Tuesday event organized by the Greater Macon Chamber of Commerce, Miller also highlighted local efforts to make neighborhoods safer and more attractive. The Macon-Bibb County government has demolished 800 dangerous structures in the so-called “blight fight.”

Miller said removing blighted properties will build stronger communities, create more green spaces and spin up opportunities for better housing.

Another government project in full swing is the repaving of Macon roads. There have been 100 miles of road repaved so far this year, the mayor noted.

Miller’s goal, he said, is 160 miles. He said that, prior to 2025, the county government was only repaving up to eight miles a year.

County leaders have confronted difficult situations, he said, but added they’ve “made our work that much more important. We focus on building up people, strengthening them, their families, their organizations and their communities.”

Miller said he is looking to the future, anticipating challenges and remaining optimistic.

“Yes, there’s much more to build,” he said. “There’s more blight to remove, and there [are] more businesses that we have to support. There are more jobs to be created, and there’s a national park to create. Oh, yeah, there’s more roads to pave as well. But more importantly, there are people who need us. There are families to support, and the time to do that has never been any better.”

Before leaving the podium, the mayor pushed one question forward to the crowded venue: “We are Macon, and this is our moment. Are you ready to seize it?”