Spotlight On: Tommy Allegood, Mayor, City of Acworth
September 2024 — In an interview with Focus:, Acworth Mayor Tommy Allegood highlighted the city’s recent milestones and achievements, emphasizing the ongoing commitment to enhancing the quality of life for residents and businesses, while driving economic development and community engagement.
What have been some significant milestones and achievements for the city over the last 12 to 18 months?
Over the last 25 years, we’ve had a vision to build a great quality of life in our city. This commitment is about making life better for our citizens and businesses. In the past year, we’ve celebrated the people in our community who have helped us achieve this vision. These celebrations have focused on the contributions of many citizens and businesses that have been dedicated to building this quality of life. We’ve learned that by creating a desirable place to live, we attract families who want to raise their children here and businesses that want to invest in our community. This past year has been a celebration of the people — both citizens and businesses — who have been instrumental in making Acworth a great place to live.
How would you describe the landscape of economic development for the city?
Our focus on quality of life has turned Acworth into a destination. One key measure of this quality is the strength of our business community. We understand that maintaining a high quality of life requires financial support, which comes from businesses investing in our community and helping to build a long-term, sustainable tax base. As we work on this, we collect tax dollars that we then use to deliver quality services to both businesses and citizens.
When considering our business landscape, we’re always focused on retention and recruitment. Our reputation for quality of life makes Acworth an attractive place for businesses. We also prioritize making the investment process as smooth as possible, removing bureaucratic obstacles to help businesses succeed. We tell every business that comes to our community that we’ll be their best partner because we’re invested in their long-term viability. This partnership is crucial for building a sustainable tax base that supports the services our community relies on.
Are there any particular businesses or industries that you’re targeting?
We are focused on developing a significant project along I-75, specifically at exits 277 and 278. At exit 278, we have 18 acres of property that we’ve rezoned as mixed medical. We’re in talks with a major medical provider to establish a presence there, which will bring various doctors’ practices and medical services to our community. This has been a key focus for us over the past few years, and this year, we expect to make significant progress. We have a handshake agreement with the medical partner and are working toward finalizing a letter of intent, which will pave the way for the construction of a new medical office building.
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What tourism initiatives are being undertaken to boost visitor engagement?
We have a state-sanctioned tourism authority, funded by the hotel and motel tax dollars. We invest these funds back into tourism and last year, we saw a return of about $80 million in tourism dollars from our investments. We use these funds to advertise across the state, promoting Acworth as a destination. Our city is the only city in Georgia with two lakes and four beaches. Recently, Lake Acworth Beach at Cauble Park was recognized as one of the Top 5 most recommended family beaches in the state by the Georgia Department of Resources.
We’re committed to making Acworth a family-friendly destination, offering about 100 different events throughout the year. These events cater to families and include a wide range of youth sports and enrichment programs, providing over 100 opportunities for families to engage in our community.
What challenges is the city facing, particularly in terms of technology?
In today’s rapidly changing technological landscape, it’s a challenge for cities like ours to stay on the cutting edge. We are focused on this, particularly for public safety. Our police department recently received a grant to implement AI technology that connects to cameras throughout our community and Cobb County. This system, called Fusus, uses AI to monitor camera feeds in real time, identifying potential crimes before they’re even reported, allowing us to respond more quickly and effectively.
In addition to public safety, our Information Technology Department is also leveraging AI to solve various challenges. We’re in the process of programming some of our systems to use AI for problem-solving. Staying on the cutting edge is crucial, and we’ve already taken significant steps to be an AI leader in Georgia.
How does the city effectively engage with your community and gather their feedback?
Community engagement is a priority for us, and is a measurement for us to become a smart city. This term is gaining traction across the country, and we’re proud to say that Acworth is a smart city. One of the key components of this is measuring success through community engagement. We’ve worked diligently to connect with our citizens through our websites and town hall meetings. Often, in other communities, citizens only get involved when something directly impacts their finances. We’re striving to change that by engaging our citizens to share our quality-of-life story.
We do this through our five different websites, each focusing on various quality-of-life initiatives and components available to our residents. Additionally, we hold town hall meetings and an annual State of the City meeting with our business association to ensure regular and meaningful engagement. On a weekly basis, we believe we’re doing a great job of keeping our citizens informed and involved, and we intend to continue this as part of our commitment to being a smart city. Citizen engagement earns citizen’s trust.
Looking ahead, what are your top priorities and goals for the city over the next few years?
Our main priority will continue to be building and enhancing the quality of life in Acworth. When you consider why people want to live here or why businesses choose to invest, it always comes back to the quality of life we offer. Over the next four to five years, we’ll keep expanding on this, ensuring that Acworth remains a place for families and businesses alike.
As we become more of a destination, we’re also focused on building a long-term, sustainable tax base. This is essential for us to continue delivering excellent services to our citizens. By maintaining and improving our quality of life, we’re not just attracting new residents and businesses; we’re also securing the financial foundation that supports the vibrant community we’ve worked hard to create.
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