One of the most enjoyable aspects of being Mayor of Tucker is the opportunities I get to go out to events and engage our residents. My wife Gaye and I especially enjoy speaking with our elementary school students. A major part of the second-grade curriculum in our Tucker Cluster is Government, and I am always honored to speak with the classes about the role of our local government. One of my favorite questions to ask them is a stumper but there is always one student who eventually gets it right: “Who is the Mayor’s boss?” The answers run the gamut from the President, to the Governor, to my wife (lots of giggles) until one child will raise their hand and say, "My Mom” or “My Dad.” They listen in surprise as I say yes and explain that I and the other elected officials serve at the pleasure of our residents. It is our job to fulfill our duties as expressed in our oaths of office and our City Charter. If we don’t, our bosses will certainly hire someone new.
There are many opportunities for citizens to provide feedback and comments to the Council and to me. We have our twice-monthly public meetings at City Hall. There is time set aside at the beginning of the regular meetings for public comment, when each speaker is allotted 2 minutes to comment on whatever is important to them. While the Council and I can’t interact or answer questions during this time, we listen and can follow up as needed. This is your time to say what you want and make sure you are heard. You may attend in person or even virtually via Zoom. We also have public hearings on many of the items we consider, which is time specially set aside for you to be heard on specific issues. But beyond that, we’re your neighbors, and we expect to hear from your wherever we meet up. And of course, I invite you to reach out via email with any questions or concerns after watching our meetings or reading our many publications. If you are unable to attend City Council meetings in person or watch live, there is a video link on past agendas to watch.
One of the more fun ways to engage our citizens is through our many street festivals. The City always tries to have a presence at all public events whether it is our event, or a volunteer led event like Tucker Day or the Tucker Chili Cook-off. This month the City is hosting a Spring Fling on April 15 at the Church Street Greenspace to kick off the baseball season and celebrate the end of a rainy winter. The City will have tent at the event to engage with our residents on the Comprehensive Plan 5-Year Update. The Comprehensive Plan is the main document that the City uses for guidance on plans and goals as we move forward. The current plan was adopted by Council back in 2018 and is required to have a five-year update. The focus of the update will be to renew the Community Work Program, adding tasks that will further advance the goals of the original Tucker Tomorrow Plan.
Full information and dates for public engagement for the five-year update can be found on the Plans and Studies page on our website, tuckerga.gov. The Council, City staff and I are here to work for you, the community of Tucker. We are residents and invested stakeholders and we encourage your input. I hope to see you at the Spring Fling and our bi-monthly City Council meetings.
