DAWSON, Ga. (WALB) — Dawson residents say they are paying higher fees to the city while continuing to navigate crumbling streets, persistent water leaks, and mounting car repair bills.

Frustrations reached a boiling point Wednesday, Sept. 23 as neighbors gathered across several city streets to point out deep potholes, washed-out patches, and running water they say city officials have failed to properly repair for years.

The complaints come ahead of a 5:30 p.m. city budget hearing on Thursday, where residents plan to demand answers about how tax dollars are spent and why the city has faced delays with state-required financial audits.

‘Corrupted with potholes’

For Shaneka Lumpkin, driving through Dawson feels like navigating an obstacle course. After blowing out tires and knocking her car out of alignment, Lumpkin took to social media to voice her frustration, quickly discovering she was not alone.

“I just want to know how bad the roads got to be in order for them to fix them,” Lumpkin said. “You’re swerving, and then when you get to swerving, they want to get behind you, ask you why you’re swerving. No, because there’s potholes in the road.”

Mattie Tinch says only three roads in the entire city — Lee, Johnson, and Pecan streets — are smooth enough to drive without fear of damage. Tinch said the road conditions ruined her previous car, forcing her to buy another one.

“The City of Dawson is corrupted with potholes,” Tinch said, noting that streets like Oak Street and 9th Avenue are riddled with craters and temporary caution barrels. “We gotta’ zigzag in the road to miss them... It does something to me to see that they’re increasing our bills and we still don’t see where the money is going.”

Longtime residents say the city’s patch jobs do little to solve the problem. Dexter Jones Sr. said crews regularly dump loose dirt or gravel into craters, only for rainwater to wash it straight out.

“Every street in Dawson is tore up,” Jones said. “The money that they take up at that courthouse and that jail, every street in Dawson ought to be paved. Every one of them. Even the dirt road.”

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Annie Lester, who lives alongside a severely damaged road, said she has spent two years pleading with city leadership, including the city manager, to bring in outside paving contractors.

“I done talked to the city manager... ain’t nobody did nothing,” Lester said. “They say they don’t have any money. They say that they don’t have nobody to fix the roads... There is no excuse.”

Water leaks and rising utility bills

Road deterioration is only part of the burden facing residents. Along with damaged asphalt, neighbors reported broken infrastructure, sending water flooding across roads and into private yards.

One resident, who has watched a street leak pour into his front yard for four months, said city crews came out to repair the pipe only for it to fail days later. Compounding the issue, he received a water bill totaling nearly $1,000.

“They need to fix this stuff,” he said. “People is on fixed income, and this is a hard time. We got to live too. We just can’t live by the street and the water running down the road and they not fixing it.”

The mounting infrastructure issues coincide with a new $8 monthly fire department fee recently tacked onto residents’ utility bills. Many question why fees are rising when basic services remain neglected.

“It adds up over a period of time,” Tinch said. “Like we paying for their mistake.”

Demanding accountability at city hall

Several residents said reaching leadership has proven nearly impossible, citing unresponsive officials and unannounced meetings.

“If you can’t complain to the one that’s in charge, where are we supposed to go? Who are we supposed to talk to?” Jones asked. “Do something for the city. Make Dawson better.”

The public will have an opportunity to press city leaders directly during Dawson’s budget hearing scheduled for Thursday at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall.

WALB News 10 has reached out to Dawson city officials regarding the road maintenance budget, repair timelines, and citizen utility fee concerns. Mayor Robert Aaron says he will address those concerns on Thursday, Sept. 24, before the budget meeting.

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