Dallas Council Gives Nod to Creation of Marshal Department

Dallas city leaders won’t need permission from the Georgia General Assembly to create a new department.

Mayor Boyd Austin during Monday’s city council meeting said state officials gave the city a thumbs up to create the office of city marshal. Councilmen had given the city the authority to pursue the creation of the department pending clearance from the state. And the council on Monday unanimously passed an ordinance to create the new office.

“We did the resolution last month and we have the affirmation from the General Assembly that we did have the power in our charter to create the position. That facilitates the need for an ordinance amendment,” Austin said.

A related measure saw the city appointing James Wright as city marshal. Wright currently serves as code enforcement officer for the Dallas Police Department.

“What we will do is remove the code enforcement officer from the police department, have a separate department, we’ll use the same court clerk and the same municipal court for the judication of the fines and the penalties that are assessed under [code violations], but it gives him more free time or frees up his time to do exclusive work on code enforcement and the issues that are subject thereof,” Austin said at last month’s meeting. “It segregates the duties and kind of makes a cleaner transition, allows [Police Chief] Scott [Halter] to develop his budget and to have full-time officers that are working police duties for the laws of the federal government, state government and the ordinances of the city, and it will free a marshal up to do all the other things we’re trying to complete.”

While the creation of the marshal office will impact the city’s future, officials during the meeting also gave a nod to a resolution proclaiming April 19 as Patriot’s Day to commemorate the anniversary of the Battles of Concord and Lexington. Austin said the resolution was requested by the Sons of the American Revolution.

“Too many folks today don’t take notice of our history, don’t know those things, so it’s an effort to remember that,” he said.

In another measure pertaining to history, Austin will issue a proclamation declaring April Confederate History Month.

“We use it for publicity a lot on the Civil War heritage trails and with all the organizations because they begin the celebration of the 150th anniversary. Tomorrow marks the day that the first shot was fired on Fort Sumter. … All of those events will be ongoing,” he said.

Day of Baseball to Kick Off Georgia Cities Week

Though it officially begins Sunday, the city will begin its observation of the Georgia Municipal Association’s Georgia Cities Week a day early at Sara Babb Park. The city’s Parks and Recreation Department will have all six of its baseball teams playing home games at the park throughout the day, with the first game of the day set for 11 a.m. Austin is slated to throw out the first pitch about 10:50 a.m.

Amber Whisner, park manager for the city, said other attractions at the park Saturday will include moonwalks, slides, cotton candy, a Relay for Life raffle and more.

With the day of baseball and other fun looming, Whisner during the meeting presented the council with baseball jerseys on behalf of the Parks and Recreation department. Austin received a jersey during last month’s meeting.