Candidates at Tucker forum differ on need for dedicated police department, pickleball process
Key points:
• Tucker mayoral candidates differed on their views about recreation amenities and the need for a police department at a Rough Draft candidate forum on Oct. 6.
• Several candidates said a feasibility study that showed a dedicated police department could be viable is an option to explore, while others were not on board with the costs associated with starting one up.
On Oct. 6, WABE’s Rahul Bali moderated the forums devoted to the Tucker mayoral, District 1, 2, and 3 posts, races, less than a month away from Election Day on Nov. 4. Cathy Cobbs, Rough Draft’s managing editor, and SaportaReport’s Delaney Tarr posed questions on hot-button issues like Tucker’s pickleball court developments, council relations with a new mayor leading the charge, and whether a dedicated police department in Tucker is the right next move for the city.
Tucker candidates got candid about everything from council civility to the possibility of a police department during Rough Draft Atlanta’s virtual Tucker Mayoral and City Council Candidate forum on Oct. 6.
Pickleball volley
Mayoral candidates Beverly Williams, Anne Lerner, and Noelle Monferdini all shared their desires for more community engagement when new developments, like a proposal to build pickleball courts, come along. Lerner said the contentious months-long debate became more about “politics and personalities” at one point, but she said as mayor she would ensure that all constituents would be heard and respected ahead of a major decision, unlike the previous plan to build pickleball courts at Tucker Recreation Center.
Monderfini added that as mayor she would encourage council to explore more options other than pickleball, mentioning indoor pools and youth recreation.
“We need to go back to the parks’ master plan and let our citizens decide,” she said.
Williams said communication and transparency could be improved for the next council and the mayor.
“We didn’t do a good job of communicating with the neighbors,” Williams said, adding that sending emails, making calls and going door-to-door would’ve been the best means of communicating with the community members.
During the District 3 forum with incumbent Alexis Weaver and contender Sam Ulrich, the pair discussed the pickleball issue and their commitments to Tucker. Weaver, who has lived in Tucker for 13 years, mentioned that affected residents were “intentionally left out of the conversation” about pickleball.
“You know, one of the issues behind the pickleball was that even though there was a contract that required community engagement, that didn’t happen,” she said during the forum. “…The lessons learned are we should uphold the commitments that we say we are going to uphold as a city.”
Related story:
• Study says a Tucker Police Department could match or exceed DeKalb services
Parks plans
Ulrich, who has lived in Tucker for eight years, agreed that community involvement needs to be a priority. He added that the next mayor will have “pretty big shoes to fill” stepping in for the city’s first and only mayor, Frank Auman.
“They are also [going] to be guided by the master plan for the paths, the parks and all of these other things in our charter,” Ulrich said.
District 2 incumbent Cara Schroeder and competitor Patrice Cosby discussed future parks plans during their forum. Schroeder noted that if re-elected, she would continue to shepherd beautification projects along Lawrenceville Highway.
“I have been focused also on Johns Homestead Park and making sure we have the resources to do that project,” she said. “It is underway and should be finished next spring, summer.”
Plans to improve and grow the city’s recreational services have been stalled, Cosby said during the forum. Her goal would be to expedite those plans if elected.
“The city is crying out for rec center and services,” Cosby said, “So, that would be my number one thing at city council is to get the rec center, and the overhaul plan for that moving forward.”
Tucker Police?
District 1 incumbent Roger Orlando and contender Karen Peters differed on their vision for handling emergency response times and crime issues in Tucker. Orlando, who said he is running for the last time, cited the Tucker CID feasibility study as proof that a city police department is needed.
“Having attended 95-plus percent of the DeKalb County crime briefings, the response times, both to the public’s perception and to the statistics, leave something to be desired,” he said. “The feasibility study by the Northlake-Tucker CID showed that it might be economically feasible.”
Peters, who is a lifelong Tucker resident, said looking at the cost of adding K-9 units and a brick-and-mortar building to Tucker doesn’t seem viable. Tucker residents are currently paying about $15.9 million in taxes for police services, according to DeKalb County police officials. The CID feasibility study estimates that a city-run department could be launched for about $10.7 million.
“I feel like DeKalb is doing a great job right now,” Peters said. “I personally don’t feel that a police station is what we need right now.”
Watch a replay of the entire Rough Draft mayoral and city council forum here.
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