InTucker Magazine

From the Mayor – June 2017

Tucker has been a place for a very long time. Although it was well-known long before, we are this year celebrating the 125th anniversary of the establishment of a train depot and a post office in the place called Tucker. Having those two things was literally what put you “on the map” in those days.

For all the time in between, many people all over the state – and even right in our area – thought we were a city. After all, we not only had a post office and a train depot, we also had Tucker High School, First Baptist of Tucker, First Methodist of Tucker and a range of shops, businesses and offices. They sat along and at the ends of Main Street, which itself was at the center of a small grid of streets and avenues. Tucker has long had all the trappings and appearances of a city.

But despite looking for all the world like a city, Tucker was never incorporated. There was no Mayor or City Council, no services provided by a city government and no borders to define who was in and who was out of the city proper. But that didn’t stop people from saying they lived in Tucker, or feeling a strong affinity for their hometown. And that part is as true today as it ever was.

Part of the process of becoming an incorporated city was that lines had to be drawn and, if you’ve been here more than a year or two, you remember well the battles that went on. As with most public policy decisions, the final map and borders ended up being a political solution. And, as with most political solutions, it produced a result that only made sense in the context of politics.

Be that as it may, we have begun life as a city with what we were granted. But ever since before the beginning, there have been people and businesses who consider themselves to be in Tucker, as well as others who would like to be included. The process of including new areas within the boundaries of the City is called annexation and, since Tucker was first incorporated, we have added more than 200 residences to the city, along with a large office park, a gas station and several other businesses.

There are still lots of residents who feel they were excluded from their real hometown. These are people who want to be recognized formally as belonging to Tucker. Annexation is their answer and we have a process for getting that done. Here’s how to look into it:

• Visit our website at tuckerga.gov for a simple explanation and even a video about the process.
• Call Matt Holmes at City Hall (470-273-3073). He can answer your questions and get your process underway.
• Call me or any of your City Council members and we will be glad to talk with you or even come to your home or business – if you want to gather some interested neighbors – to answer all of your questions.

Call me or any of your City Council members and we will be glad to talk with you or even come to your home or business – if you want to gather some interested neighbors – to answer all of your questions. You can find our contact information on the City website.

Tucker has a lot to offer to its residents, and if you want to be an active part of our community, we want to welcome you. Please be in touch!