Paulding Commissioners voted down an agenda item added by Commission Chairman David Austin last week that sought to allow for a commercial testing site to be added to the new Department of Driver Services (DDS) center opening this summer on the Watson Government Campus. Despite interest by the state in locating the testing site in Paulding, as indicated by a $500,000 grant, commissioners apart from Austin, indicated concerns with regard to the proposal and voted 4-1 against pursuing the state grant.
Commissioner Vernon Collett expressed concerns with the potential for truck traffic on the Watson campus as well as funding concerns that adding the testing site would require.
Post Commissioner Todd Pownall stated the he felt the final price tag could be as high as $3.5 million and would not bring any more jobs to the county.
“I don’t feel like it’s the right fit for our campus,” Pownall said. Post 1 Commissioner Ron Davis stated that he didn’t feel that Paulding taxpayers needed to help the state accomplish its goal of establishing the site and he added that alternate testing sites were not as far apart as had been previously noted.
When the Watson facility was approved and began construction county officials at the time had considered making commercial driver’s licenses available at the new location for those who are seeking employment in the trucking industry, but no plan was considered at that time. Around the same time Chattahoochee Technical College began offering tuition funds, in addition to the HOPE grant, as an incentive to those entering high-demand industries.
Contacted by phone following the BoC’s decision, Bert Brantley, commissioner, Department of Driver Services, said the Paulding site was the department’s first choice and he had been hopeful that it could have worked out.
“We appreciate Chairman Austin leading that effort and that they would even consider it,” Brantley said.
But the need to eliminate Paulding as a possibility was necessary in order to move on, he said, and added that Paulding has been a terrific partner through the construction of the new facility on the Watson campus.
“Paulding was our preferred option so we needed to know about that before looking at other options,” Brantley said. “But we have to do something soon; there’s a six-week backlog and a shortage of drivers.”
Brantley said that the $500,000 in state funding remains available to the department through June, but must be committed to a site by then. Brantley said the DDS plan to look at other sites in Carrolton and Rome and that they also hope to lengthen the list of possible sites. Brantley said the DDS is working toward holding its grand opening for the Watson DDS location in early July. Since 2014 the DDS has had a plan for a driver services “super center” adjacent to Paulding County’s Watson government complex in Dallas. The closest locations currently are in Polk and west Cobb counties.
The 7,400 square-foot center is planned to include 14 service counters, 16 testing stations and full service (knowledge testing, renewals of licenses and IDs, reinstatement services, motorcycle testing and road testing). The new facility incorporates hi-tech enhancements, such as self-serve kiosks and the ability to complete paperwork before arriving at the center. A driver center typically handles about 5,000 transactions per month, according to DDS Spokesperson Susan Sports.

(Design rendering, submitted DDS)