Woodstock’s city leaders just signed off on a plan to double the city’s fire stations—without doubling the budget.
🧯 What’s Happening:
The city already budgeted for 12 new firefighters and one new station. Then, contractor Spratlin Construction offered a discount if Woodstock built both stations at once.
- According to city officials, building both stations now saves the city more than $600,000.
- Fire Chief Shane Dobson confirmed the department can cover both stations with the same 12 new hires by spreading shifts strategically.
💰 The Big Picture: The Woodstock City Council unanimously approved the construction of Fire Stations 28 and 29 during Monday night’s meeting. The $14 million investment—$7.4 million for Ridgewalk Parkway and $6.8 million for Long Drive—will be handled with an eye toward long-term savings and minimal financial strain.
📊 Between the Lines: City Manager Jeff Moon pointed to Woodstock’s high bond rating and leftover SPLOST funds to explain how the city can afford the project—without new taxes or cuts elsewhere.
- The city still has more than $1 million from SPLOST IV earmarked for fire services.
- Impact fees originally meant for parks could be redirected to public safety.
🧠 Catch Up Quick: Woodstock currently has just two fire stations. The population—and the pressure on emergency services—has been growing fast.
🌆 The Local Impact: The additions will boost capacity for fire and medical emergencies and strengthen joint response with Cherokee County.
The Sources: City of Woodstock.
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Before You Dismiss This Article…
We live in a time when information feels overwhelming, but here’s what hasn’t changed: facts exist whether they comfort us or not.
When A&W launched their third-pound burger to compete with McDonald’s Quarter Pounder in the 1980s, it failed spectacularly. Not because it tasted worse, but because customers thought 1/3 was smaller than 1/4. If basic math can trip us up, imagine how easily we can misread complex news.
The press isn’t against you when it reports something you don’t want to hear. Reporters are thermometers, not the fever itself. They’re telling you what verified sources are saying, not taking sides. Good reporting should challenge you — that’s literally the job.
Next time a story makes you angry, pause. Ask yourself: What evidence backs this up? Am I reacting with my brain or my gut? What would actually change my mind? And most importantly, am I assuming bias just because the story doesn’t match what I hoped to hear.
Smart readers choose verified information over their own comfort zone.
B.T. Clark
B.T. Clark is an award-winning journalist and the Publisher of The Georgia Sun. He has 25 years of experience in journalism and served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta for 15 years and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc. for 8 years. His work has appeared in several newspapers throughout the state including Neighbor Newspapers, The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal. He is a Georgia native and a fifth-generation Georgian.
