If you read Decaturish and want to support us financially, visit supportmylocalnews.com. If you need more convincing, read on … 

Dear readers,

The Nov. 2 municipal elections are upon us and it’s shaping up to be a busy year.

Atlanta will have every seat on the ballot, including City Council and School Board. Decatur, Avondale Estates, Stone Mountain, Clarkston and Tucker will have their city elections this year as well.

There will be dozens of people running for local office, and these positions are among the most important public service jobs in America. It’s democracy where the rubber meets the road. These are the people you are just as likely to see at the supermarket as you are at a city council meeting. They have the ability to make decisions that will affect you on a daily basis: how much you pay in property taxes, how often someone picks up your garbage, whether you’ll be required to wear masks in public spaces, among other things. These races demand your participation and attention. Otherwise, you’ll get the government you deserve.

We’re facing a daunting task familiar to all small local publishers: how can we cover all of these races in a way that is useful to our thousands of readers? How can we ensure the news remains free for everyone to consume and not hidden behind a pay wall? That’s where you come in.

If you haven’t already done so, please stop what you’re doing and visit supportmylocalnews.com to become a paying supporter of Decaturish. You can sign up for as little as $3 a month. As a supporter, you’ll get access to our e-editions, which typically have exclusive content for our paying supporters, as well as access to exclusive deals for paying supporters. But the most important thing you’ll receive is the ongoing quality local news coverage you’ve come to expect from Decaturish and our new website, the Tucker Observer.

The support of our community has made a difference in how we operate. It allowed us to hire our first full time reporter, Zoe Seiler, and supports the work of our freelancers. It helps us with the monthly costs of running our operations, which averages around $4,000 to $6,000 a month. Our election coverage will add to our costs of producing content and because we are small and local news is not always going to produce eye-popping profits, it likely will not generate a reciprocal increase in our revenue. To get things covered effectively, we need your help. It’s as simple as that.

Since the summer of 2020, we’ve been hovering at around 1,500 supporters. Prior to that, we had around 700. Doubling our number of supporters is fantastic. More support means more coverage of the things that you care about. We’re not just trying to hang on to what we’ve got. We’re constantly thinking about the future and as a reader who cares about local news, you’re an important part of that future.

In the coming days and weeks, you’ll be hearing more from me about why your support is important. We’ll have a story featuring interviews of some of our supporters and demonstrating the impact that we’ve had in our community. If your support has lapsed, or you’ve canceled, you’ll be hearing from me personally. We want you back and need your help. If there’s anything we’re not doing, let us know by emailing us at [email protected].

Help us continue to grow by supporting us. Visit supportmylocalnews.com today and sign up. And if you’re already a supporter, please tell a friend.

If you appreciate our work on this story, please become a paying supporter. For as little as $3 a month, you can help us keep you in the loop about your community. To become a supporter, click here. 

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