It’s been almost a year and a half since DeKalb County voters gave their overwhelming support to the special-purpose local-option sales tax (SPLOST). Part of the appeal of that additional penny was that incorporated cities like Tucker would receive a share of the revenue proportional to the population and would have say over which projects they funded and which contractors they hired to do those projects.
Thanks to great work from our professional staff, I can tell you that we hit the ground running with our program, starting well ahead of most others in the County, and stretching that penny as far as it could possibly go. Road resurfacings are the most visible example and you can find plenty of testimonials from residents and business owners on social media. I often hear about it directly from neighbors in the community. So many talk about how smooth the daily commute is now that they don’t have to dodge potholes on Fellowship Road or worry about being cut off at Lawrenceville Highway. Our business partners say their trucks are able to get up and down Mountain Industrial Boulevard in better shape than ever before.
And more success stories are coming.
This month, we’ll kick off our spring resurfacing blitz. Cold and rainy weather prevented us from completing Rock Mountain Boulevard and Old Norcross Road in the fall, so those will get priority status. We have 24 other streets that will be repaved before all is said and done. You can find a complete list at tuckerga.gov/SPLOST.
But roads aren’t the only things being improved due to SPLOST funding. Last month, your City Council voted to install lights on the tennis courts at Henderson Park. We’ve installed security cameras around our parks to increase safety. We’re planning to make improvements to hiking trails and renovations to the concession stand at Kelley Cofer Park. And you’ll soon see some new sidewalks around town. All of this is being done with that additional penny.
It wasn’t easy for me to support a new tax. I know it’s a risk and an expression of trust when you go to the ballot box and agree to give the government more of your money, and I take your trust seriously. Our staff and contractors understand it, too. We will continue to execute our SPLOST program with the utmost transparency so that you can see that your trust has been well-placed and that the results make it worth the investment. When everyone is holding up their end of the bargain, we increase the quality of life for everyone in Tucker and that’s my number one priority.
