Douglas County has agreed to assist Villa Rica with some of its paving needs.

Mayor J. Collins has been in discussions with Douglas County Commission Chairman Tom Worthan for several weeks about the possibility the county would help pave some of the subdivision streets in Mirror Lake that never received their final asphalt toppings. After a recent tour of the areas in question by Collins and Worthan, it was announced that the two sides have finally come to an agreement.

“He has agreed that those streets will be paved some time the end of July or the first of August,” Collins said.

After seeing first-hand the condition of the roads in the Northwoods and Southwoods subdivisions of Mirror Lake, Worthan gave his approval to assist the city in the paving.

“Mayor Collins asked me to look at assisting the City of Villa Rica with some roads in the Douglas County portion of the city that a developer had left unfinished when he went bankrupt,” Worthan said. “Manholes were sticking up higher than the base pavement, causing an unsafe condition for motorists. I agreed to help with these roads, and the Douglas County DOT will be putting down the missing top layer of asphalt. We enjoy a positive relationship with the City of Villa Rica, and Douglas County is pleased to be able to help when we can.”

While Douglas County is providing the manpower for the project, Villa Rica will fund the purchase of the asphalt. A similar agreement with Carroll County involving the paving of unfinished roads in the Dogwood Trace, Bay Springs East and the Reserve at Reid Plantation subdivisions has already been completed.

“We are very grateful that Chairman Worthan has agreed to partner with us to fix these roads over on the eastern part of the city,” Collins said. “This is a partnership that demonstrates how the county and city government can work together to help the people of Villa Rica and Douglas County. Counties are under no obligation to do that, but Chairman Worthan and (Carroll County Commission) Chairman (Bill) Chappell saw a need and were able to work it out to help our residents — both Villa Rica residents and those who pay taxes in Carroll and Douglas counties.”

The Villa Rica City Council had earlier approved using $120,000 for the Douglas County paving that would have otherwise gone into the city’s reserve account. The city budgeted $127,000 in SPLOST funds to complete the Carroll County paving based on earlier estimates, but the work actually came in about $15,000 under budget.

“By Carroll County and Douglas County agreeing to providing the manpower to pave these roads, it will save us several hundred thousand dollars, collectively, which will allow us to do other desperately needed paving projects on our own,” Collins said. “If you drive around the city, I think you’ll see that we’re spending tax dollars in places they need to be spent. We’re adding sidewalks and we’re fixing some streets and some roads that have been in desperate need of repairs for years. I want to thank the council for allocating that money for us to do that.”