By JOHN THOMPSON
jthompson@thecitizennews.com

You're driving on Ga. Highway 74 north on your normal morning commute with your coffee in its cup holder and news blasting from the radio. It's a drive you've virtually memorized, but this time you slow down and notice the road has suddenly gotten prettier with flowers and bushes.

That will soon be a reality after Tyrone approves its budget June 15. The town has set aside $36,500 of its $2.29 million budget to beautify Hwy. 74.

Town Manager Barry Amos said the project won't be as extensive as Fayetteville's recent plantings in the median, but it will look similar.

“We're going to plant as much and as far as this money will allow us,” he said.

The beautification project is one of Tyrone's capital projects this year, along with spending $125,000 for a new ball park and $100,000 for street improvements.

The biggest chunk of this year's budget, nearly $657,000, goes to public safety. Last year's public safety budget was $621,000, but Police Chief Roger Spencer said there's a reason for the increase.

The department is upgrading its radio equipment, which is going to cost nearly $24,000. The department also is spending an additional $12,000 over last year's budget to replace older equipment.

Amos said this year's budget is slightly down from last year's, but that's because the city's capital improvements program isn't going to cost as much.

“Last year, we budgeted $180,000 in land purchases,” he said.

This year's budget should not call for a tax increase over the current 2.5 mills, but Amos said the rate won't be set until the city receives the tax digest in September.

Just before Thursday's meeting, town officials broke ground on a cart path at Senoia Road and Castlewood Road. The path runs more than 5,900 feet and is 10 feet wide to accommodate joggers, bikers and car drivers.

Amos said the $199,000 path is the first in Fayette County that is fully funded by the federal government.