A Costly Master Plan That Misses Tallapoosa’s Real Needs

In recent months, the City of Tallapoosa unveiled a new “Master Plan” prepared by Toole Design Group and championed by Mayor Brett Jones. The price tag? Roughly $80,000 of taxpayer money. The goal? To reimagine our downtown with new sidewalks, café lighting, planters, and repaved streets flush with the curbs.

On paper, it all sounds nice. The glossy renderings of tree-lined sidewalks and decorative seating areas look like something out of Atlanta or Charlotte. But let’s be honest, Tallapoosa isn’t Atlanta. We’re a small town of just 3,200 residents, with nearly half of our downtown buildings sitting vacant and an economy struggling to attract new businesses and residents.

Brett Says He’s Against “Over-Developing” But His Record Says Otherwise

Mayor Jones is campaigning on the claim that he’s not for over-developing Tallapoosa. Yet here we are, paying $80,000 for a plan that calls for tearing up our streets, re-engineering sidewalks, and making cosmetic changes that could cost taxpayers millions. That isn’t protecting small-town charm, that’s forcing big-city solutions on a small community that can’t afford them.

What our residents actually see is the fallout of his strict building codes, what many call “Brett’s Code.” These excessive requirements have discouraged investment, scared off entrepreneurs, and left our city in a downward spiral. Instead of clearing the way for local businesses to grow, Jones has doubled down on costly consultant visions that miss the point.

The Disconnect Between Plans and Reality

Toole Design Group specializes in making metro cities more walkable and traffic-friendly. But here in Tallapoosa, walkability isn’t our problem. Our problem is vacant storefronts, limited job opportunities, and a lack of long-term strategy to grow our economy.

What good is a repaved, decorative street when the buildings lining it remain empty?

Paying to Replace What We Already Had

One of the plan’s most “visionary” features is to add trees, shrubbery, and planters along our sidewalks. But not long ago, the city cut down many of the beautiful trees we already had. Now, we’re paying consultants to tell us we need to plant new ones.

Expensive Ideas, Simple Problems

Another proposal in the Master Plan is to repave all of our downtown streets flush with the sidewalks so people won’t trip over the curbs. The problem? Curbing exists for important reasons, drainage, protection for sidewalks, and clear traffic boundaries. Everyone in town knows how to step up on a curb. Yet the plan would have us believe we need to spend thousands, if not millions, to fix a problem that doesn’t exist.

This is exactly the kind of costly, over-engineered solution that may look good on paper but does little to address the real issues facing Tallapoosa.

The Wrong Priorities at the Wrong Time

What this plan really highlights is a fundamental disconnect between Tallapoosa’s needs and Brett Jones’ vision for our city. After decades working as a facilities supervisor at the Georgia State Capitol, Jones has brought Atlanta’s mindset to our small town. But Tallapoosa isn’t Atlanta. We don’t need fountains and million-dollar roadwork—we need a city government that clears barriers for businesses, maintains the assets we already have, and focuses on responsible growth.

A Better Path Forward

For the past seven months, I’ve been talking with residents, business owners, and community leaders. I’ve listened to your frustrations and your hopes. The message is clear: people want real progress, not pricey renderings.

We should be investing in:

• Supporting local entrepreneurs by reducing unnecessary red tape.

• Revitalizing vacant buildings with incentives that attract new businesses and families.

• Maintaining our existing infrastructure and parks instead of chasing costly consultant plans.

• Promoting our local assets and festivals to draw tourism and revenue back into Tallapoosa.

That’s how we move Tallapoosa forward, not with another $80,000 consultant study, but with practical, resident-focused leadership.

It’s time to put Tallapoosa first, not Atlanta’s playbook.

— Joe Glass

The Clear Choice for Responsible Family-Focused Growth