DEKALB COUNTY: Economy drives down funds for road work projects

The economic downturn and other financial strains have led to major cuts in DeKalb County’s road-building budget.

The growing county typically allocates $20 million toward repaving battered streets and building new roads, sidewalks, medians and streetlights. This year, with the recession and the new city of Dunwoody draining revenue, county officials say they had to cut money for these capital projects.

In recent years, DeKalb has spent a fifth of its penny-on-the-dollar sales tax for roads. But in 2009, Chief Executive Officer Burrell Ellis is proposing that an additional 10 percent of the Homestead Option Sales and Use Tax go back to homeowners to offset property taxes that must rise. Business will still feel pinched by a 0.79 mill increase, but people with homestead exemptions won’t notice it because of the sales tax subsidy.

Everyone who drives will be affected by the halving of the road budget, though.

Last year, DeKalb spent $1 million in sales tax revenue (plus $3 million from interest on bonds) repaving roads. The county is again proposing $4 million for repaving. But unlike last year, when DeKalb spent $19 million in sales taxes on new roads and sidewalks and repairs to bridges, the county is proposing $5.5 million in projects this year.

Here are the road projects in Ellis’ proposed 2009 budget and the county’s portion of the estimated costs:

> Memorial Drive streetscapes: $1.3 million. Sidewalks, medians and lights along Memorial Drive, from Decatur to Stone Mountain.

> Lithonia Industrial Boulevard extensions: $1.9 million. Extend the boulevard east from Stone Mountain Lithonia Road north of the Mall at Stonecrest.

> North Decatur roundabout: $300,000. Install a traffic circle, sidewalks and other “streetscape” amenities, including disability access, at the five-way intersection at the entry to Emory University at North Decatur and Oxford roads.

> South Hairston sidewalks: $500,000. Install sidewalks along South Hairston Road, from Redan Road to Wesley Chapel Road.

> Main Street Tucker streetscapes: $200,000. Improve Main Street in Tucker, from Tucker High School to Lawrenceville Highway, by adding new traffic signals, sidewalks, benches and landscaping.

> North Indian Creek at Memorial Drive: $400,000. Realign roads to ease access to Georgia Perimeter College in Clarkston.

> Memorial Drive at Memorial College Drive: $400,000. New entrance to Georgia Perimeter College, tying into parking deck near football field.

> Glenwood Avenue: $100,000. Sidewalks, crosswalks and other pedestrian safety improvements to Glenwood south of Decatur.

> PATH projects: $400,000. New projects along the South River and along the rail right of way through Clarkston.

Source: Proposed 2009 budget by DeKalb CEO Burrell Ellis and John Gurbal, assoc. director of transportation.