Dianne Tate: 'I Should Give Back'

For Dianne Tate, the duties of being on the don’t stop when the meeting ends and she leaves . The job requires plenty of research on agenda items and at times includes talking with fellow residents at funerals, church and even the grocery store.

“I’ve even had people stop me and say, ‘May I dial my wife? She has a question for you.’ I’m standing right there in front of the Wheaties, you know, and they dial their wife,” Tate said.

But Tate doesn’t mind. To her, it’s an honor to serve the community.

“People are very nice,” she said.

Tate first ran for the City Council in 1997, about a year after she and several other women in her community approached the council about truck traffic in the areas of Main Street, Cherokee and West avenues, and Etowah Drive. That experience makes her more compassionate toward people who come before the council.

“They’re kind of nervous coming before us, and they don’t know what to say,” Tate said. “I always try to smile at them. We have to make hard decisions, and it’s intimidating, but I don’t think we should be intimidating. I think we should welcome people to come, and I think they should speak from their hearts.”

One of Tate’s goals is doing everything possible for economic development. To her, that means an attractive and restored downtown area.

When she hears people say they love coming to Cartersville, she knows the city has been successful.

“It’s reinforcement to me that we’re taking this in the right direction,” Tate said. “I think that people are absolutely delighted with the charm of downtown, the , , the good restaurants.”

There are some difficult parts to the job, though, including .

“You know their hearts are in the right place, but it comes down to common sense,” Tate said. “That always creates a little anxiety. You just have to make a decision. No one likes wishy-washy folks.”

The council isn’t the only way Tate serves the community. She sits on several boards, including being president of the and vice president of the board. She recently ended her term on the board.

Mina Harper, who also serves on the Etowah Valley Historical Society, said Tate is dedicated to serving the public good.

“She has insight into the value of historic preservation and works diligently to promote historical awareness,” Harper said. “In all her endeavors, she makes decisions and influences decisions that result in a higher quality of life and cultural standard in Cartersville.”

Tate said she hopes that by giving back to the community, she’s making a difference. “It seems to me if the good Lord made me healthy, I should give back.”