DeKalb Commission rejects CEO's threats of police layoffs

By Megan Matteucci

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Trying to make his case in an ongoing political battle, DeKalb County's CEO said Tuesday that police officers and firefighters will have to be laid off if the commission doesn’t raise taxes.

County commissioners laughed at CEO Burrell Ellis’ predictions Tuesday, saying they will not raise taxes and no public safety employees will lose their jobs.

“I think it’s ridiculous to say we would ever raise our hands to lose any of our police officers,” Commissioner Lee May told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “I think this was politics and political grandstanding.”

The commission, which has the final say, tabled a vote on the budget until Feb. 23.

Ellis has proposed a 1.86-mill property tax increase, along with $53 million in budget cuts, to address the county’s $84 million deficit.

After all seven commissioners rejected a tax increase, Ellis called a press conference and fired back. Without a tax increase, Ellis told reporters, the county would have to cut 151 police officers, 143 sheriff’s deputies, 86 firefighters and 40 district attorney’s employees.

“We’re at a crisis mode and unfortunately we can’t cut our way out of it,” Ellis said.

Ellis also has called for a 17 percent increase in his department's budget and a 1 percent raise for county employees.

Commissioners have rejected the increases and are considering a two-hour-a-week furlough for all employees, an early retirement plan and seven unpaid holidays. Other ideas on the table include cutting $3.5 million to Grady Memorial Hospital and delaying the openings of a library and recreation center.

The deficit occurred because of a $1 billion drop in the tax digest, along with a loss of sales tax and revenue from the incorporation of Dunwoody, Ellis said.

Commissioner Connie Stokes, chair of the budget committee, said commissioners gave the CEO a list of budget cuts that does not include public safety.

Ellis said he is still waiting to hear suggestions from the commission.