Dallas City Mayor, Boyd Austin, gives update on challenges facing the City of Dallas and work to answer upcoming needs

Rotary Club member and Dallas Council member Griffin White took the podium to introduce his guest speaker Boyd Austin. Boyd Austin is serving his sixth consecutive term as Mayor for the City of Dallas. Mr. Austin is well liked and respected in the community for his dedication to the city. After a warm acknowledgment from Mr. White, Mayor Boyd Austin took the podium.
Mayor Austin thanked the Rotary Club members and Griffin White for the introduction and the opportunity to share an update for the City of Dallas. Mayor Austin also thanked the Paulding County Sheriff's Department and Sheriff Gary Gulledge for their continued support and service to the community. Mayor Austin acknowledged the expanding responsibility of serving so many years in Paulding County. Mayor Austin pointed out the growth, in the city of Dallas when he first took office there were 2800 citizens now there are 13,000. In Paulding County, the population has risen from 18,000 to 165,000. Mayor Austin related to everyone that he was a member of the Georgia Municipal Association. Mayor Austin serves as chairman of the Board of Directors of the GMA. The GMA provides training for city officials and mayors, who face the challenges of growth and infrastructure throughout the state of Georgia. Mayor Austin shared that through his involvement he had spent much time in various cities, both large and small, across Georgia. The one recurrent theme for all cities was their need to expand or reinforce their infrastructure. Roads, bridges, water, and sewage are all needed desperately for growth in most all Georgia communities. Recently, Mayor Austin had been invited to the White House as part of an infrastructure planning and coordination meeting. At that meeting, we were made aware of the never-ending red-tape that often delays and undermines the effort it takes to get infrastructure projects accomplished throughout our nation. Mayor Austin is working with others to provide training to those mayors and city officials new to these responsibilities. Also they were working to provide more effective solutions to these challenges.Dallas Mayor Austin is also on the board of the Georgia environmental finance Authority. The GEFA directs programs to conserve Georgia's natural resources and environment while promoting economic development. The GEFA provides low-interest loans to cities, counties and authorities for projects that improve water sewer and waste management systems. Mayor Austin is also looking for financial solutions that will help the local community, as well as other municipalities, seeking to do the same across Georgia. Here in Dallas, we are seeing that same need for water treatment, a we are outgrowing estimated projections. Speaking of water, the Richland Creek Reservoir project, well underway, can't happen soon enough. The water reservoir and the treatment facility are sorely needed, as we still rely upon Cobb County for needs here in Paulding. The Richland Creek Reservoir is at 30% completion, and will be finished late 2018. This facility will come online in 2019. This $215 million project is desperately needed to support growth in Paulding County.
Mayor Austin again thanked the Rotary club for the opportunity to address the shared concerns regarding the future of our community. He was also grateful to share with everyone the steps that are being taken to find and implement the solutions that will best provide for our growth.