PELHAM, Ga. (WALB) - The Liberia Street Cemetery was designed as a place of peace, but it has turned into much more as families complain about its lack of maintenance.

“It’s a disgrace that we have to come out here and look at this graveyard. Grass just tall, and we really don’t want to bring no stuff out here,” resident Jontravius West said.

West said Liberia Street Cemetery is in desperate need of attention, and the preservation committee the city created in 2023 to help rectify its issues is simply not working.

“Clean it up. Make it better for family and friends to come here to visit their loved ones,” West demanded.

Pelham’s Mayor Pro Tem Rhonda Brown said the cemetery preservation committee is doing what they can, but they need more funding.

“The biggest thing is raising money. The hardest thing is raising money. We are in place to try to seek grants and funds that can help pay for and replace the slabs that are broken,” Brown said.

Brown acknowledged the residents’ concerns and promised that progress will be made in due time.

“We can’t afford the slabs right now, but the least we can do is fill it with sand. We’ve already started that, so I think we are in a good place right now,” Brown said.

Brown said the preservation committee has not met in a few months but is expected to kick back up this month to move forward with enhancing Liberia Street Cemetery. For more information on meeting times, visit the city of Pelham’s Facebook page.

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