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THE PUBLIC CEMETERY:
MEETING NEW CHALLENGES IN A
TIME OF CHANGE
Georgia MunicipalCemeteryAssociation | 4 October 2017
Robert (Sherman)Yehl, Associate Professor of Political Science
Valdosta State University
1
2
3
Armageddon
 Lack of space
 Eroded trust funds
 Higher maintenance costs
 Cremation
4
History
 Town commons, church yards
 Urban growth
 19th century
 Park like settings
 Cultural significance
5
A Public Issue
 “Sensitive” contents
 Expansion – nuisance
 Environmental externalities
 Older population
 Discrimination
6
The Planning Challenge
 Still a need for grave space
 83,000 additional acres needed
between 2024 and 2042
 Expenditures exceeding revenues
 Deferred maintenance
 Utilities
 Staffing
7
21st Century Management
 Secondary purposes
 Long-term planning
 Benchmarking
 New services
 Technology
 Staffing
8
Protect|Preserve|Promote
 Annual fee review
 New products
 Dedicate tax
 ”Green” burials
 Reframe as park
 Enhanced security
 Website/social media
9
Continuity & Creativity
 Preservation
 Promotion
 Repositioning
10
11
Contact: rpyehl@valdosta.edu
12

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The Public Cemetery: Meeting Challenges in a Time of Change

Editor's Notes

  1. In preparing our article for The Public Manager, Dr. Wickersham and I surveyed respondents on how the might preserve, protect, and promote their cemeteries. There are many ideas out there – from ensuring that revenue keeps up with costs, offering new products and services, dedicating a portion of the property tax specifically for cemetery operations, promoting more green burials which have less of an environmental impact, reframe the cemetery as a park for enjoyment for both the living and dead, ensuring there is adequate security to reduce vandalism and promote safety, and simply provide a website can help promote your cemetery not only to your citizens but to people everywhere – especially if you have unique monuments or celebrities buried that can drive traffic and interest.