Mayor Dina Holiday Ingram said the “state of our great city of East Point is strong” during her State of the City address, outlining recent public-safety gains, a new employee pay plan, investments in the water system to address PFAS contamination and ongoing housing development — and announcing she will not seek reelection.

In a brief nut graf, Ingram framed the measures as part of a people-first agenda she said underpins East Point’s current growth: falling crime, a triple-A bond rating, and targeted federal and state funding to protect the city’s water supply and support workforce housing.

Ingram attributed several public-safety improvements to recent staffing and technology upgrades. “Overall, crime in East Point is down by 30% from this past year,” Mayor Dina Holiday Ingram said, adding the city achieved a 94% homicide clearing rate last year and a 100% clearance rate so far this year. She also said homicides are down 12%, auto deaths are down 40%, and burglaries are down 50%. The mayor credited the police department’s staffing increases and new tools; she said emergency response times have fallen from about 15 minutes to roughly 8 minutes and 12 seconds over the last two years. Ingram said the city plans to deploy Skydio drones as “first responders,” which she said is expected to provide 90-second responses for an estimated 80% of calls.

Ingram described investments in youth and prevention programs alongside enforcement: a summer youth academy supported by hotel owners and Microsoft and a new youth outreach video series in partnership with Tri Cities High School. She said a $30,000 private grant and community contributions replaced federal funding that was cut for the summer academy.

On employee pay, the mayor summarized a two-phase pay-and-classification study the city commissioned. She said East Point raised its starting wage to $20 per hour effective April 5, 2025, and that the city identified positions that were at least 10% below market and adjusted classifications. “There’s not one person in the city of East Point that will make less than $41,600 per year starting,” Ingram said. She also said the new public-safety step plan will increase police and fire pay over time and provided starting figures she attributed to the plan: firefighters starting at about $52,500 and police starting at about $58,500.

Water quality and infrastructure were a central theme. Ingram said East Point already treats for PFOS at its water-treatment facility and has installed filters. She credited congressional directed spending secured by U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff for authorizing $15,000,000 through what she referred to as the East Point Water Resources Act; she said the city has requested an additional roughly $1.5 million to finish filtration upgrades so the facility can treat all relevant PFAS compounds. The mayor also described the city’s long-term needs: she said 60%–70% of the city’s water, sewer and storm infrastructure is decades old and estimated a full overhaul would cost more than $325 million.

At the state level, Ingram said East Point successfully advocated for a municipal option sales tax in 2021 that she said has yielded millions for local water repairs while avoiding large property-tax increases. She thanked state and federal officials by name and said congressional and state-directed funds have helped reduce the cost burden on residents.

On housing and economic development, Ingram listed recent and planned projects: more than 400 senior units completed at Hillcrest by the housing authority, workforce housing at Malibu Point, the recently opened Aya Tower downtown, and an upcoming development at Wagon Works. She said the city is attracting private developers building for middle-income households and noted East Point’s partnerships that brought a transit-linked soccer field to downtown and connections to World Cup 2026 activities.

Near the end of her remarks, Ingram announced she will not run for reelection. “I will not be running for reelection,” she said, and told the audience she intends to continue serving the community in other roles.

The address touched on a range of city programs and personnel changes: Ingram introduced the city’s new manager, Redmond Jones, and credited the city’s water-resources director, Melissa (last name not specified in the address), for early filtration work. She also noted the city maintains a triple-A bond rating from Standard & Poor’s.

The mayor’s remarks were delivered as a fireside chat moderated by Dr. Maria Boynton and followed ceremonial invocation and performances earlier in the program. No formal council votes or ordinance actions were recorded in the remarks on the topics Ingram covered.

Looking ahead, Ingram said the city will continue to pursue federal and state funding for water upgrades and to expand housing and workforce opportunities while implementing the approved pay adjustments for city staff.