InTucker Magazine

Citizens of the Month – Cityhood Volunteers

This month I am breaking the rule that staff can’t nominate a Citizen of the Month. I have only done that once before for a special dedication of gratitude, but this time is so important, too!

I would like to nominate the volunteers that made up Tucker Together, Tucker 2014 and Tucker 2015. I would not want to try to list all that were involved as I would hate to forget anyone. There were countless volunteers that knocked on doors, delivered yard signs, posted on Facebook, and hundreds that sent emails of support.

In the winter of 2013, there were rumblings of a new city wanting to be created but was swallowing part of what had always been known as Tucker. In response, Tucker organizations held a meeting at Tucker Middle School to educate and garner interest in Tucker incorporating. That night, the night before the last day of the legislative session, a small group of new friends convinced a State Representative to drop a placeholder bill to allow for the start of the discussion.

Tucker Together was the first group to form as an education organization. They held four meetings to cover what it would mean to incorporate, what services would be provided, and what the process would entail, first step being to raise $30,000 for the state required feasibility study. Tucker Together was a 501 (c) 3 and limited to education and fundraising.

A different group then stepped forward and created Tucker 2014 to advocate and raise money. The two groups worked together towards the common goal of uniting Tucker and raised $30,000 in one month the summer of 2013.

The feasibility study came back just in time for the 2014 legislative session, and Tucker 2014 was hard at work meeting with neighbors, educating and advocating for the creation of the City of Tucker and lobbying under the Gold Dome.

There were three cityhood initiatives, each vying for map that overlapped the others. Tucker 2014 continued to raise money to hire professional help under the dome and several key members and residents spent hours talking to state representatives and state senators, speaking during hearings, and taking time away from their families for the betterment of their community.

The overlapping maps and the inability for the three to compromise pushed the bills into the following legislative year with the directive to come to an agreement during the recess.

Tucker 2014 rebranded to Tucker 2015 and expanded their volunteer reach. The 2015 legislative session was full of angst, promises made and not kept by the opposing cityhood efforts, late nights and personal events missed. By then end of the session, and down to the wire, both Tucker and the Lakeside City Alliance came out with referendums in hand and a map compromise.

The following seven months the volunteers of Tucker 2015 doubled their efforts to advocate for a yes vote. There were several weeks when six out of seven days held meetings with neighbors, businesses and Tucker organizations. It was a whirlwind and stressful but in the end it was worth it.

The vote to incorporate Tucker as a city was on November 3, 2015 and Tucker spoke loudly with a 73% approval that YES, WE WANT TO BE A CITY!

Many from Tucker Together, Tucker 2014/2015 went on the serve the city as elected officials, appointed members of boards and commissions, the Charter Committee and even staff. The memory of the motivation for incorporation lives and the goal has been achieved.

Thank you, Tucker, volunteers, supporters, voters and all residents. We are all Citizens of the Month.

Nominated by Sonja Szubski