COVINGTON, Ga. – A request to place a street light on Stone Mountain Street in Covington was denied by a vote from the Covington City Council.

Council Member Charika Davis campaigned for the addition during Monday’s council meeting. Davis cited the street’s increased vehicle traffic due to the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT)’s ongoing bridge replacement project on nearby Emory Street. The bridge is expected to remain closed until August 2026.

Davis said that increased street lighting mitigates pedestrian and vehicle conflicts, reduces crime and improves visibility. She added that the light could perhaps be funded via federal or state grants.

However, a precise location for where the city could place additional lighting on Stone Mountain Street was unclear. Davis said she could point out possible locations for lighting if the council was open to it.

“I can go out with staff and show you,” Davis said. “I can’t show you from the picture [a displayed photo of the street], but if we can agree to the street light, I can show you where we can put one.”

Mayor Fleeta Baggett did not see this as a viable solution, as the city does not own any property on Stone Mountain Street, so they could not easily install additional lighting.

“You can’t put a street light on private property,” Baggett said. “It can only go on the right of way, and we have adequate lighting on the right of way.”

Councilman Anthony Henderson suggested a temporary light, though the details of how that would be done were unclear. Councilman Jared Rutberg added that temporary lights are not always downward-cast, which could be disruptive to the street’s residents.

As the discussion continued, a seemingly exasperated Baggett suggested taking the council in a van to view possible locations for a street light that very night.

“We’re going to table this until the end, and then we’re all getting in a van and going on a field trip together,” Baggett said.

While Rutberg then issued a motion to table the discussion until the end of the meeting, City Attorney Frank Turner Jr. said the city would risk violating the open meetings act if all of the council members got in a van together.

In an attempt to fix this, Baggett and Henderson suggested that the council bring along any public member who wished to come, even identifying a reporter of The Covington News who was at the meeting.

But before any more discussion could take place, Davis made a motion to approve the addition of the streetlight, albeit without a definite location. The motion was seconded by Henderson and resulted in a 3-3 vote, as Councilman Dwayne Turner voted in favor with Davis and Henderson.

Council Members Travis Moore, Kim Johnson and Rutberg voted against the motion, with Rutberg audibly voicing concerns about the light’s location.

“I don’t know where it’s going,” Rutberg said.

Baggett issued the tie-breaking “no” vote.