Tyrone Mayor Eric Dial on Jan. 5 gave the annual State of the Town address before the Town Council and citizens. The address highlighted the accomplishments of 2016 and looked forward to the expectations for the new year.
Dial began his remarks noting that town leadership, including department heads, evaluated and analyzed internal strengths and weaknesses as well as external opportunities and threats.
“As I reviewed the improvements and additional services we provided in 2016, it was clear that there was a common thread to which they all could be attributed, and that is our people. Our employees have done a phenomenal job this year of going above and beyond the call of duty. There is no doubt in my mind that we have the best employees we have had at any time in the 10 years I have served the town. We are grateful to each and every one of them,” Dial said.
Dial spoke about the town’s roads, parks and municipally-owned properties being in the best shape ever and about the investment in road resurfacing, cart path and stormwater projects, in each case thanking those involved in the work for what had been accomplished.
“Shamrock Park has truly become the crown jewel of this town with a newly-paved path, a new fountain, new bridge, new bathrooms and a remodeled pavilion. Our guys take great pride in their work, and it shows. And they have accomplished all of this while remaining completely safe,” Dial said as he continued the address.
Dial’s comments then turned to law enforcement.
“Our police department and court staff continue to shine. Year after year we are recognized as one of the Top 5 to 10 safest cities in Georgia. Thanks to Gary and Vivian Williams at Ohio Hog we now have our newest officer, Bruno. Our K-9 unit will prove to be a great asset to our department and more importantly the safety of our taxpayers,” sid Dial. “In what is actually an honor attributable to all of our officers, Chief Brandon Perkins was recognized by the International Association of Chiefs of Police as one of the Top 40 Under 40 Chiefs of Police in the world.”
“These are huge accomplishments that we cannot begin to take for granted,” Dial continued. “We must support our men and women in uniform and encourage the community to do the same. In a world where relationships are increasingly tenuous between citizens and law enforcement personnel, we are taking steps to buck the trend through increased crisis intervention and diversity training. We are also hosting and attending community events and public forums to educate the public and foster positive relationships.”
Dial turned his comments to the town’s newest employees who have joined “an already strong group of people who are great at what they do and show not just a willingness, but a desire to assist the public. In a recent conversation with our Town Manager, Kyle Hood, I mentioned to him that he has done a great job of comprising the best staff we have ever had, and I want to say the same publicly.”
Dial near the close of the address turned his focus to 2017.
“In 2017, we will undoubtedly see welcomed changes to our community, and it is critical that we stay on our toes, anticipate the changes and create an infrastructure that supports them,” he said. “New cart paths, improvements at Handley and Redwine parks, road resurfacing and potential increased sewer capacity are all vital to the future of this town. A healthier economy promises to bring new development so we will remain diligent in our preparedness.”
