The City of Monticello was awarded the City of Excellence honor in January, 2000 by the Georgia Municipal Association and Georgia Trend.

GMA, in cooperation with Georgia Trend Magazine, sponsors the “Cities of Excellence” awards program to recognize Georgia’s best managed and most livable cities. The purpose of the program is to focus public attention on the many good things cities are doing to improve the quality of life in their communities.

City of Excellence Poem

A City of Excellence
There’s power in that name
So the City formed a committee
To capture the elusive flame
Let the search begin
declared the Mayor on the Square
While the Bands played and children cheered
releasing balloons up in the air
But before a single step
the search committee could proceed
A member addressed the Mayor
Ma’am, I believe I see a need.
The children have no place to play
and in my heart, a hark,
I’ll stay behind and work on
the construction of a park
And member two said, Mayor dear
I think I must remain
I just received a summons to repair a water main
So went members three and four
of that illustrious committee
to wear the many hats you wear
to any little city.
To plan the plans and fix the fixes
To cheer-ers and sometimes boo-ers
And then the final member’s beeper beeped
He climbed down in the sewer.
Until all were gone from the Square
The Mayor stood alone
Proud to serve, but bewildered
Her committee, now was gone.
She turned to leave and saw a light
Surround the square like a fence
And from the top of the monument
A voice said, “I am Excellence.”
You cannot capture Excellence, Mayor dear
or buy or sell or borr’y
For if you hold it then you sit
and begin the slide to sorry.
Do your work and fulfull the need
Write that on your City board
For the truth is the pursuit of me
is where you’ll find reward.

–Stone Workman–