Tucker candidates
Mayor: Frank Auman, Lorne Cheek, Bruce Jackson
District 1, Post 1: Honey Van De Kreke
District 1, Post 2: Jon Carr, Bill Rosenfeld
District 2, Post 1: Katherine Atteberry, Frank Nix Jr., Matt Robbins, Thomas Walker
District 2, Post 2: Tom Gilbert, Corbett Jordan, Eric Lovvorn, Noelle Monferdini, Joe Scarpaci, Susan Wood
District 3, Post 1: Michelle Penkava
District 3, Post 2: Ruth Hoffman, Anne Lerner
Source: DeKalb Elections Office
The 123-year-old community of Tucker, which voted last fall to become a city, will elect its first mayor and city council Tuesday.
The new government will guide growth in a community so well known that many in metro Atlanta didn't realize that it wasn't already a city. Tucker, with a population of 33,000, incorporates this summer.
Many of those running for office say they want to solidify Tucker’s identity, spruce up its parks and attract businesses to the area. Three people are running for mayor and 16 are vying for six city council seats.
“We’re not trying to change Tucker and become something else,” said Frank Auman, a business owner who supported cityhood and is one of three candidates running for mayor. “We want to make sure we maintain the character of the community that exists.”
The city will cover about 20 square miles, reaching from the eastern edge of Interstate 285 to Stone Mountain and beyond.
Tucker will start with a small government, with three city-run services: parks and recreation, planning and zoning, and code enforcement. The rest of local government services, including police, will continue to be provided by DeKalb County.
"It's an opportunity to control our destiny," said Lorne Cheek, a server and caterer who is running for mayor. "People will have a greater say in their representation."
Tucker will be able to plan business development and provide more options for residents, said Bruce Jackson, a mayoral candidate with a background in sales and advertising.
“As residents, we tend to go into the Perimeter area or downtown Decatur for entertainment, but we can bring that retail space into Tucker to make it a cozy, unique community,” he said. “Now we will have a voice as a city versus just being a geographical mark on the map.”
During a meet-and-greet with voters, Colossus Restaurant owner Rick Johnson said he hopes the city’s future government will make the permitting process easier for businesses.
Johnson said the county's bureaucracy made him want to give up as he tried to get approvals to open the restaurant last year.
“With a more local government, it will be easier for businesses to come in and start up,” Johnson said. “The city is going to be able to say, ‘This is what we want.’”
Tucker will have three city council districts, with two representatives from each district. The mayor’s salary will be $20,000, and the council members will be paid $14,000 annually.
Longtime resident Honey Van De Kreke, who is running uncontested for a city council district in southeast Tucker, said the city’s future government will manage 260 acres of park land and emphasize community planning.
“Quality of life is huge here,” she said. “A government will give us a voice closer to the community itself.”
Candidates said they will prevent property taxes from rising. The city of Tucker’s property tax rate is capped at 1 mill unless voters approve an increase.
Tucker’s government will operate with $10.6 million in projected revenue, according to a feasibility study conducted last year. Less than 5 percent of the city’s income will come from property taxes; most will be generated by business licensing, insurance fees and utility fees.
One of six people running for a west Tucker city council seat, Noelle Monferdini, said residents want to preserve and improve the community they already have.
“Tucker has always been Tucker,” said Monferdini, a photographer and project manager. “The benefit I see is that we’ll be able to spend taxes locally. They will go back to pay for services here.”
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