Thursday, March 7, 2013
DeKalb County CEO Burrell Ellis said this week the county has reached a point where incorporations could harm essential county services.
DeKalb County has reached a "tipping point" where continued incorporations of unincorporated county land could harm the county's ability to fund essential services such as courts, elections and libraries, county CEO Burrell Ellis said this week – services all county residents use regardless of whether they live in a city. Ellis' remarks were released in a statement to Patch, but, speaking at a community meeting in Tucker on Tuesday, he also said he understands the desire for cityhood but that historically, new cities often encounter difficulties meeting their fiscal goals, and end up having to raise taxes just to meet basic needs. "You'll still be DeKalb citizens," he said, emphasizing that new cities cannot isolate themselves from their …
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
The board passed the budget unanimously Tuesday.
Jeff Rader and the rest of the DeKalb County Board of Commissioners voted Tuesday to approve a $559 million county budget for 2013 that includes no tax increase. The unanimously approved budget is a reduction of county CEO Burrell Ellis' proposed $565 million budget that would have raised taxes by .64 mills or about $20 on a $200,000 home. The budget restores $900,000 for the county's understaffed permitting and licensing system, which has been subject to significant budgetary slashing over the last several years as county construction and development waned in a sagging economy. That money was removed from the budget this week, worrying some that long waits for permits and licenses could force business and development to other counties, …
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
DeKalb County Commissioner Kathie Gannon wants more county residents recycling. Only 21 percent in the county do, falling well short of the 40-percent national standard.
- GOVERNMENT
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Wednesday, October 3, 2012
The DeKalb County Board of Commissioners recently took a big step to make DeKalb County greener. Last Tuesday the board voted to eliminate the initial $30 sign-up fee for curbside recycling. It’s time for more DeKalb residents to recycle. While our county is among the leaders in recycling in metro Atlanta, still only 21 percent of the eligible households in DeKalb recycle. The county has a goal to increase recycling to 40 percent, the national standard. In addition to dropping the recycling registration fee, we’ve also established a modest marketing campaign to reach more citizens. It’s my hope that the elimination of the recycling fee is just the jump start needed for residents to get behind this. In just two days after the fee was …
Friday, September 28, 2012
The proposal would also be heard by the county's District 4 Community Council on Oct. 16 in Stone Mountain.
A land rezoning request for a proposed RaceTrac gas station and market on Lawrenceville Highway could go before the DeKalb County Planning Commission and the Board of Commissioners in November. At a second meeting with residents at McLendon Elementary School on Sept. 5, RaceTrac officials said they planned to submit their proposal to rezone several acres on the highway between Hollywood and Orion drives from residential to commercial before the board of commissioners' Sept. 13 deadline for rezoning requests. The acreage under consideration appears to sit in District 4, meaning it would go before that district's Community Council on Oct. 16 at Stone Mountain Library, according to the board's rezone calendar. Each county district has a …
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Ed Nelms Jr. wants to sell 17 acres near Pangborn Road to DeKalb County. But so far, the county hasn't bitten, he said.
An Oak Grove-area man who has been trying to sell 17 acres near Pangborn Road to DeKalb County for a park since last year says he's still trying – but the county won't meet with him. Ed Nelms Jr., who's offered to sell the land for $6 million, said he wants to keep the historically significant plot green by selling it to the county, which has been buying up land throughout District 2 and the North Druid Hills-Briarcliff Road area with park bonds money, according to a story Sunday in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “I really feel like it’s an excellent opportunity for both the county and my family,” said Ed Nelms Jr., who last year offered to sell 17 acres of his family’s historic farm near Pangborn Road for $6 million. “We would hope we …
Monday, July 30, 2012
The county spent about $880,000 for four acres on Chrysler Drive near Briarcliff Road.
The DeKalb County Board of Commissioners has purchased four acres for a new park in Oak Grove. The county purchased about four acres on Chrysler Drive near Briarcliff Road, according to an Atlanta Journal-Constitution report. See the story for more information. The county has purchased land in the area for another park recently. Here are several Norht Druid Hills-Briarcliff Patch stories on that issue:
Monday, May 21, 2012
The group fighting to stop the construction of a Walmart Supercenter in North Decatur sent a letter to commissioners asking they make public any campaign contributions from Walmart or Selig Enterprises.
Good Growth DeKalb, the group fighting the construction of a Walmart Supercenter in Suburban Plaza, wants to know if any county commissioners have reason support the international retail behemoth. The group sent a letter last week asking commissioners to say whether they've taken campaign contributions from Walmart or Selig Enterprises, which owns Suburban Plaza in North Decatur, according to the Atlanta Business Chronicle. From the story: In its letter to Selig, the group stated, “Good Growth DeKalb would like to understand the possible political and financial influence that Walmart is exerting in Georgia," according to a news release from the group. "Towards that end, we are requesting that local politicians divulge any financial …
Thursday, April 19, 2012
A Decatur resident writes in about her own experience with a Walmart and her thoughts on the retailer's expansion into North Decatur.
- OPINION
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Thursday, April 19, 2012
I'd like to add my two cents to the Suburban Plaza debate. First off, let me tell you where I live: south of Memorial Drive off Midway/Peachcrest. A few years back we had a big ruckus over the Walmart Supercenter that went in where the mall used to be. We picketed. We wrote letters. We petitioned. Ultimately, Walmart came and did just as they pleased without building any sort of mixed use like they promised they would. The closest we got to "mixed use" is that a SunTrust bank opened up where the supposed condos were going to be. Nothing else was done. In other words: We got screwed. The neighborhood has not improved one tiny bit. The surrounding area has not magically transformed into better quality stores. NOTHING. That corridor of …
Monday, April 16, 2012
The county wants to rezone about 15 acres of open space just south of DeKalb Peachtree Airport near Clairmont Road.
Thursday, April 12, 2012
DeKalb County Board of Education Chairman Gene Walker defended this week the school system's plans to build revenue-generating cell phone towers on several school sites in the North Druid Hills-Briarcliff area.
Gene Walker, the DeKalb County Board of Education's chairman and District 9 representative, defended this week the school system's plans to build revenue-generating cell phone towers on several school sites across the county, including the North Druid Hills-Briarcliff area. From an article published Wednesday in Neighbor Newspapers: Meanwhile, Board of Education Chair Eugene Walker expressed his dismay at the commissioners’ handling of and take on the issue. Commissioners overstepped their bounds and are being disrespectful of the school board, he said. “We’re not circumventing anything,” Walker added. “We’re operating on the authority we have. “And, clearly, we have different opinions about the possible effect of cell towers … we’re …
Sally
12:38 pm on Tuesday, March 12, 2013
There is NO WAY I am in favor of waiting 5 years. more ›