Growth Questioned At Council Meeting

During Tuesday’s city council meeting, a group of concerned citizens questioned why Thomaston and Upson county has not seen the same type of growth that some of the surrounding areas have experienced.

Mayor Hays Arnold responded that, “In years past, we competed on a regional basis within the southeast, following NAFTA we begin competing with all of north America and today we compete on a global basis for manufacturing and industrial jobs.”

Mayor Arnold emphasized how important a community’s infrastructure is to attracting new companies and how limited funding has become to replace water and sewer lines as well as for resurfacing streets. He discussed how fortunate the city was to have an adequate water supply and that the reservoir provided a reserve of 200 days without additional pumping from Potato Creek.

Mayor Pro Tem Doug Head told the group that he was amazed the community has survived as well as it has, he stated that, “We must spend our money to keep the heart beating, we must rebuild the infrastructure.”

Mayor Arnold stated that the city has dealt with a sizeable reduction in revenue, yet still managed to maintained its favorable bond rating while being forced to reduce the size of it’s work force and it’s vehicle fleet. He said, “The city of Thomaston does not have the authority to place a SPLOST on the ballot and has relied on grants along with local tax dollars to fund projects.”

The mayor challenged any concerned citizen to come forward with ideas and solutions to help the local government and Industrial Development Authority recruit new jobs to the area.

City manager Patrick Comiskey mentioned that the Boy Scouts of America had invested over $3,000,000 in Camp Thunder and that the facility is being used throughout the year.

Mr. David Price, president of the local SCLC, questioned why there were no minority scout troops, councilman Wallace Rhodes asked him, “Why doesn’t the minority community recruit young boys and girls to form a Scout troop?” Price stated that it was something that the organization would look into.