Ask The Mayor

Q. - Obviously the state considers Colquitt Rd. and Hwy 205 busy enough to place traffic lights at that intersection, so why can't Colquitt Rd be resurfaced?

 

The street is terrible and one of our busiest thoroughfares because of access to and from Wal-Mart, Furlough Middle School and Dallas.

 

It has been patched several times, but those temporary fixes did not last long. With fall rains and winter freezes coming the road will deteriorate even more.

 

There is no shoulder and cars often drive down the center of the road to avoid the uneven surface making for a sometimes scary drive.

 

It is too bad the road could not have been resurfaced during the summer when traffic is slightly less due to school not being in session, but I do hope we do not have to wait until next summer for the City to make improvements

Answer - Thanks for your inquiry.

 

One of the decisions made by the Council this year and for next year was to not increase taxes and to reduce expenditures to match our reduced forecast revenue.

 

Of course, our lower revenue forced a lot of budget cutting. For a number of years the City set aside $300,000 each year for major street maintenance projects. There simply was not enough revenue projected to allow for needed maintenance projects last year or for the coming budget year.

 

Funds for the needed major repairs on Colquitt are probably not going to be available. The City’s intention is to do the best we can to keep our roads as safe as possible with spot repairs.

 

We will appreciate notification by citizens when they observe a problem location. Reports can be made online or by calling the City at 972-551-6678. We will do the best we can to respond in a timely manner.

 

Sincerely,

 

Hal Richards, Mayor