You're

driving on Ga. Highway 74 north on your normal

morning commute with your coffee in its cup

holder and news blasting from the radio. It's a

drive you've virtually memorized, but this time

you slow down and notice the road has suddenly

gotten prettier with flowers and bushes.

That

will soon be a reality after Tyrone approves its

budget June 15. The town has set aside $36,500 of

its $2.29 million budget to beautify Hwy. 74.

Town

Manager Barry Amos said the project won't be as

extensive as Fayetteville's recent plantings in

the median, but it will look similar.

"We're

going to plant as much and as far as this money

will allow us," he said.

The

beautification project is one of Tyrone's capital

projects this year, along with spending $125,000

for a new ball park and $100,000 for street

improvements.

The

biggest chunk of this year's budget, nearly

$657,000, goes to public safety. Last year's

public safety budget was $621,000, but Police

Chief Roger Spencer said there's a reason for the

increase.

The

department is upgrading its radio equipment,

which is going to cost nearly $24,000. The

department also is spending an additional $12,000

over last year's budget to replace older

equipment.

Amos

said this year's budget is slightly down from

last year's, but that's because the city's

capital improvements program isn't going to cost

as much.

"Last

year, we budgeted $180,000 in land

purchases," he said.

This

year's budget should not call for a tax increase

over the current 2.5 mills, but Amos said the

rate won't be set until the city receives the tax

digest in September.

Just

before Thursday's meeting, town officials broke

ground on a cart path at Senoia Road and

Castlewood Road. The path runs more than 5,900

feet and is 10 feet wide to accommodate joggers,

bikers and car drivers.

Amos

said the $199,000 path is the first in Fayette

County that is fully funded by the federal

government.

<!--

-----------