The genesis of seeking and attaining cityhood for Tucker was that we had become convinced there were things we could do more effectively as a local government than a larger, more removed government could do for us. Many citizens were rightly concerned that a new government would mean more complexity, and higher rather than lower costs. So, we memorialized in our charter the limited services we would provide, and we severely limited the taxes the City could levy. In addition, we agreed as a community that if we ever thought there were other services we could provide more effectively than the county, we would have to have the electorate’s approval before we could take on the authority to do so, and impose the necessary taxes. 74% of you gave your approval, and six years in, we can say things have worked out remarkably well.
Since our incorporation in 2016, we have provided three core services: Planning and Zoning, Code Enforcement and Parks and Recreation. The cost of those services to our taxpayers has actually gone DOWN over that time. The other services, including Roads and Drainage, Sanitation, Sanitary Sewer, Water, Police, Fire, EMS, and a range of other services are still being provided by DeKalb County. As we’ve matured and grown into operating as a city, we are seeing other needs that could be better met locally, along with opportunities to make improvements in service.
A few years ago, the residents of DeKalb, including all of Tucker, voted overwhelmingly to approve a Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax, or SPLOST. We worked closely with DeKalb County to be the fiduciary of Tucker’s share of the tax that would be collected. I am very proud of how we have handled these funds and how our staff has executed our projects with those dollars. SPLOST money can only be spent on certain capital projects like road resurfacing, additional sidewalks and trails, and new park facilities. Maintenance of many of those items remains the responsibility of DeKalb County, which means wherever we have potholes, broken sidewalks, right of way maintenance, erosion of creeks and drainage ditches and so on, we have to rely on DeKalb County to keep them up. Our staff has met monthly with DeKalb County staff since the very beginning, tracking every single complaint or request that’s been submitted, but we are not able to dictate their priorities or timetables.
Based on that six years of data, and the taxes we are paying for those services, we are becoming convinced we could do better locally on some of those services. The Council and I have been discussing it for several years, since before COVID put a damper on so many things. Now we are seriously discussing the idea of standing up our own Public Works department. This is no small undertaking: There are initial costs, maintenance costs and staff costs that will all go into it. We are starting the discussion and public education now as we look to add this to the ballot in November’s election. We expect to do a lot of public meetings and other forms of education for our residents as to what will be involved to do this well.
For us, Public Works includes pothole and road repair, sidewalks, stoplights and signage, and management of the stormwater that runs off the roads and every property in Tucker. Sound costly? You aren’t wrong, but this is perfect timing fiscally as we will be able to use some of the American Rescue Plan funds that we have received from the Federal government to cover many of the start-up costs.
The discussions will be ongoing both at our Council meetings and scheduled public information meetings. I sincerely hope that you stay engaged and help inform your neighbors. Our community is Tucker’s greatest strength and we need a full understanding and agreement to make this work. It is imperative that our citizens make informed decisions on the future of Tucker, so please be sure to share meeting notifications and sign up for our eblasts and share facts with your friends.
