Oliver to File 'Placeholder' Cityhood Bill for Druid Hills Residents

State Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver said she will file a "placeholder" bill Monday on behalf of Druid Hills and other communities so they can decide over the next year whether to pursue cityhood.

In a legislative newsletter to constituents over the weekend, Oliver, D-Decatur, did not say what other neighborhoods would be included in the bill or what the boundaries for the proposed city would be.

From the newsletter:

On Monday March 25, MMO will file a “place holder” bill to allow residents of Druid Hills and other neighborhoods the opportunity to decide whether they wish to be consider a new DeKalb County City in the 2014 Session. We anticipate other groups in the Lakeside and Tucker areas will also file similar bills in order to have ongoing discussion over the summer. To create new cities, legislation must be filed in one year in order to be voted on in the next year. In future newsletters MMO will discuss the procedures more fully in hopes that there will be a robust discussion on how citizens wish to be governed. This is important question for the voters, not elected politicians.

Oliver's bill comes a week after the Lakeside City Alliance announced its intentions to file its own cityhood placeholder bill by last Friday. That was delayed without explanation, however. A second cityhood group, The North Druid Hills Study Group, has also proposed a City of Briarcliff that would stretch from Druid Hills to the Mercer University area. 

Oliver's bill and others could be debated, changed or withdrawn over the next year before one or more of them – if any – move forward for a vote before the General Assembly.

More to come.

For more information regarding local cityhood movements.