DeKalb proclaims Public Works Month; Public Works Department wins APWA accreditation

DeKalb County on Tuesday proclaimed National Public Works Week and recognized the county Public Works Department's recent accreditation by the American Public Works Association (APWA).

Chief Executive Officer Lorraine Cochran Johnson presented the proclamation and praised the department's role in maintaining roads, drainage, sanitation and county fleets for "more than 768,000" (speaker's estimates varied) residents. She told the board the county's Public Works Department had achieved APWA "accredited agency" status, which she described as national recognition of best practices.

Peggy (identified in the meeting as the department director) said DeKalb is one of roughly 200 agencies in North America to achieve APWA accreditation, and contrasted that with the roughly 30,000 public works agencies nationwide to underline the rarity of the recognition. "There is something to the vicinity of 30,000 public works agencies," she said, calling accreditation an "incredible achievement" for DeKalb.

Why it matters: Accreditation signals the department has met APWA standards for planning and service delivery; county leaders said the recognition reflects internal reforms and will be used to reaffirm commitments to infrastructure maintenance and service delivery.

The proclamation text celebrates the county's sanitation, roads and drainage, fleet and transportation teams and cites 2025 as the 65th annual National Public Works Week. Commissioners invited Public Works staff to the dais for photographs; no new funding or policy action was announced as part of the proclamation.

Ending: County officials said the accreditation and the proclamation highlight Public Works' role in county operations and will be used as a platform to promote continued investment and public awareness of infrastructure services.