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IN MEMORIAM: WILLIAM LEE MABRY (1927-2023)
Roswell’s longest-serving mayor dies Pug Mabry carried city into a parks paradise By DELANEY TARR delaney@appenmedia.com ROSWELL, Ga. — William Lee “Pug” Mabry, Roswell’s longest-serving mayor who presided over the city’s growth from a small town into a thriving Atlanta suburb, died April 28. He was 95. Mabry was elected mayor in 1966 when the city’s population stood at just over 3,000. Over the next 31 years he saw the city’s population grow to almost 60,000. Mabry presided over the development of a park system consistently ranked among the best in the state, the revitalization of Roswell’s Canton Street and the preservation of the city’s historic homes. Mabry, who was nicknamed “Pug” as a child by a neighbor who always said he was “as sweet as her dog, Pug” moved to Roswell in 1956 after the birth of his two sons. At the time, the Mabry family was one of the longest-established and most influential families in the community. As mayor, Mabry had a vision to change Roswell in a period of growth
Construction to affect Kimball Bridge Road ► PAGE 3
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Alpharetta sets timeline for adopting 2024 budget By SHELBY ISRAEL shelby@appenmedia.com
SPECIAL TO APPEN MEDIA
From left, Hans Appen, W.L. “Pug” Mabry, and Hatcher Hurd stand at the Appen Media office in 2017. for North Fulton while protecting the qualities that made the city unique. As a father of two sons and a lover of sports, he saw a need for parks and ball fields in the city, pushing him to run for mayor. Under Mabry’s leadership the city bought 63 acres of land that would
later become Roswell Area Park, which now houses ball fields, tennis courts, playgrounds, a gymnastics center and other facilities. Mabry was passionate about preserving the city’s character,
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See MABRY, Page 6
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ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Alpharetta city staff have set a timeline on public engagement for the fiscal year 2024 budget, which includes a recommended $3 million for positions and projects focused on elected officials’ priorities for the upcoming year. City Administrator Chris Lagerbloom set three public hearings on the draft budget at a May 1 City Council meeting. The proposed spending plan will be on the agenda at a May 22 meeting at 6:30 p.m. and at two June 19 meetings at 11:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. The City Council has set a list of 10 priorities and the Annual Action Plan for fiscal year 2024 funding. Among the priorities are downtown Alpharetta; bolstering the Public Safety Department; the Alpha Loop and Big Creek Greenway; strategic growth and redevelopment; and communications strategies. The draft budget posted in the agenda packet for the May 1 meeting proposes adding positions. The recommended proposals for Public Safety include $333,000 for four positions in Real-Time Crime
See BUDGET, Page 7