The plates had been cleared and the speakers had spoken when the index card inquiries from the audience got their airing at the DeKalb County Chamber of Commerce luncheon last week.

What should we think, someone asked, of cityhood for Dunwoody: good or bad for business?

Maria Mullins, director of DeKalb County's economic development office, and one of the day's speakers, pounced.

"Why," she wondered aloud, "would anyone want more government, another layer?"

A new city tax would erode the county tax base, Mullins fretted, and make it harder to deliver services. Later, speaking to a reporter, she added that businesspeople like the security of knowing a government is business-friendly — and who knew whether Dunwoody's would be.

There was more, but Mullins' concerns seemed clear enough, even if, as she reminded a reporter later, she is officially neutral on the north DeKalb community's possible secession.

Not so Chamber President Leonardo McClarty, who says outright that the new city would hurt businesses.

The question of the impact of Dunwoody's possible cityhood on business is much discussed these days. Everyone agrees that the answer is critical, both for the county and for businesses, particularly the giant core of companies concentrated in the area around Perimeter Mall.

If all goes as expected, Dunwoody residents will vote July 15 on whether to break away, in the manner of several north Fulton County communities, beginning with Dunwoody's neighbor, Sandy Springs. Dunwoody would be the first DeKalb community to go city, but others have noodled with the notion, and its governmental shift could jump-start a trend in DeKalb and beyond.

It's still unclear how Dunwoody residents will vote, but most businesspeople contacted by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution expect Dunwoody to go its own way. Publicly, at least, most are stating neither opposition nor support, saying instead that they are looking ahead with optimism, if also concern.

"I don't think it's going to be such a negative situation," said Yvonne Williams, president of the Perimeter Community Improvement Districts, a business group that is neutral on cityhood.

"People are going to have the ability to work together," she said, "and I have every reason to believe that people (in Dunwoody) appreciate the value of this (business) market and that nobody wants this major investment to go away."

Bill Campbell, senior director of development for Barry Real Estate Cos., an Atlanta developer with commercial projects in the Perimeter, added, "Dunwoody knows the value of that area."

Robert Wittenstein, a member of Citizens for Dunwoody, a nonprofit group that sought the cityhood vote, said business interests shouldn't worry.

"Their angst is understandable, said Wittenstein. "They've been working with DeKalb County for a long time and it's predictable. Now, they won't know what to expect. But change can make things better."

Wittenstein said just as new city residents should expect more personalized service from a municipal government, business should "look at this as an opportunity to deal with a government that is much smaller and which they have a much louder voice in."

McClarty, president of the DeKalb Chamber, said however: "Ultimately it appears that (a Dunwoody city) is going to be very homeowner-friendly and the business community will be the one to shoulder the burden. Having another city essentially will increase the cost of doing business in DeKalb County. If it does, that makes it difficult to recruit and to keep industry in such a competitive environment."

McClarty said a lot of questions, particularly about the costs to run a city, have not been adequately answered.

That uncertainty concerns Mullins, the county development director.

"It's kind of uncharted territory," she said. (Dunwoody) will bring the values of its constituency. But businesses want to feel secure and they want a government that helps them be competitive and understands what they need to be successful."

That's especially important, now, she said, because of the globalization of markets and the rapidly evolving economy.

Regarding Dunwoody, she added: "We have faith it will turn out great, but we don't have the answer. It's very important to keep the business community and the residents together and talking."

Staff writer Paul Donsky contributed to this article.