What they're saying: Fire Chief Shane Dobson told council members the department could spread the 12 new firefighters across all four stations and refurbish an existing reserve fire truck to reduce costs. The total price tag for Station 28 on Ridgewalk Parkway is $7.437 million, while the Long Drive station will cost just over $6.831 million, according to the city. Building both simultaneously will save an estimated $606,000 based on current subcontractor quotes.

Woodstock Mayor Michael Caldwell praised the council’s decision, saying, “You’ve just added two new fire stations that will dramatically improve coverage and response times across our city, saving lives for generations to come. Since I’ve joined you in this role, you made a 26% starting pay increase for police officers which resulted in being fully staffed on the police force in the city and for the first time in over 10 years, you hired 12 new firefighters, taking the fire department from 48 to 60. You’ve made historic investments in public safety.”

"These stations will dramatically improve coverage and response times across our city," said Mayor Michael Caldwell. "This investment will save lives for decades to come, and we're doing it while continuing to lower the tax burden on our citizens." 

“The fire department went from 48 to 60 staff members and you’ve just added two new fire stations that will dramatically increase coverage through this city and response times which absolutely will save lives for generations to come,” he said. “You’ve made historic investments in public safety in the last four years. Congratulations.”

“Thank you to the City Council and to the staff, to the Woodstock Parks and Rec Advisory Board, and to everyone who has worked so hard to get this across the finish line,” said Mayor Caldwell.

“I am very proud of what we are presenting here. I think this is a great representation of what is a fiscally responsible budget while also making historic investments in our public safety, our infrastructure and the people who work here, and making sure we look out for the taxpayer of Woodstock,” Caldwell said. “This is an excellent investment in Woodstock’s future.”

“In the last three and a half years together now we’ve made the largest investment in parks and trails in our city’s history, the largest investment in infrastructure in our city’s history, the largest investment in police and fire in our city’s history... I am proud of this, and you should be too.”

“This represents a continuation of what is a generational investment in this city in infrastructure and parks and trails, and represents a second round of massive, unprecedented investment in our public safety — both fire and police,” Woodstock Mayor Michael Caldwell said. “This budget, like every good budget, shows what’s important to the people of this city. We are making an investment in tomorrow.”

Mayor Caldwell began the address by sharing that the Metro Atlanta Chamber is underway on a ‘Downtown Reimagined’ campaign saying, “At the Chamber’s annual meeting, they highlighted the importance of transforming the City of Atlanta back into a livable community.” Caldwell continued, “During their presentation, they used Woodstock as an example of the kind of downtown that Atlanta should be emulating. Our capital city is looking to us.”

Atlanta is looking to Woodstock as a model for how to build a thriving, walkable downtown. That was one of the big takeaways from Woodstock Mayor Michael Caldwell’s State of the City address on January 31.

“With three Grammy-nominated artists and two top-tier tributes, this is set to be one of the best seasons our city has ever put on,” Caldwell said.

In the past three years together, we have made the largest investment in police and fire department pay in our City’s history. We have made the largest investment in our parks and trails in our City’s history. We have made the largest investment in our City’s infrastructure - streets, water, sewer, parking - in our City’s history.

Ladies and gentlemen, the State of our City is brighter than ever before, and we are just getting started.

“The state of our city is brighter than ever before, and we are just getting started,” Woodstock Mayor Michael Caldwell told those in attendance at his annual State of the City address Friday.

Woodstock Mayor Michael Caldwell is delivering his annual State of the City address Jan. 31.

“The City is building tomorrow’s Woodstock by making the largest infrastructure investment in city history, funded by local, state and federal funds.” -Woodstock Mayor Michael Caldwell

A Woodstock native, this entrepreneur and business owner is focused on building the city’s commercial base while expanding parks, enhancing recreation, and improving infrastrucutre.

On Dec. 16, Woodstock Mayor Michael Caldwell presented trophies to the parade float winners from the 28th Annual Christmas Jubilee and Parade of Lights.

“Caldwell said he was more in favor of a local option sales tax. Caldwell also voiced his support for the Technology Ridge Parkway project and expressed his gratitude for how well the county and cities and legislators are working together.”

Woodstock Mayor Michael Caldwell said his city was among the first to receive an LCI grant in the early 2000s, which helped establish a mixed-use city center within the bedroom community. ‘I remember when a trip to downtown Woodstock meant a trip to the hardware store,’ he said. ‘… But now, we are the example in the nation of what a thriving, revitalized, vibrant downtown can look like.’”

“Both Woodstock Downtown and Woodstock City Center represent a generational opportunity to add retail, office, hotel, and critically-important parking and infrastructure to one of the most popular downtown destinations in Georgia," said Woodstock Mayor Michael Caldwell. "The addition of Fire & Stone Italian Pizza in the historic Train Depot is a perfect fit for our city’s continued redevelopment.”