The fallout over an explosive report on DeKalb County corruption that urges Interim CEO Lee May to resign has revived a legislative debate over whether the county should even retain the powerful position.
But this time a key Democrat is leading the charge to eliminate DeKalb's CEO post.
State Rep. Scott Holcomb said he would file a proposal next year to change the county's form of government away from the CEO model. He would join some Republicans, including state Sen. Fran Millar of Dunwoody, who have long sought the overhaul. When May accepted Gov. Nathan Deal's appointment as interim CEO, he indicated he favored a governmental change as well. But the Democratically controlled DeKalb legislative delegation has been resistant.
"It's the right time for the discussion," said Holcomb, D-Atlanta. "There is a real hunger for reform and I support the change."
It's more bad news for Interim CEO Lee May, who has so far defied the calls to resign as he defends himself in meetings with residents across the county.
"My motives were pure. I wanted to get down to what we were doing in our day-to-day operations," May told residents at a Lithonia meeting this week. "I got something different than that. … I'm still upset."
The political currents may be shifting. Gov. Nathan Deal, who appointed May as CEO more than two years ago, has ordered the Georgia Bureau of Investigation to review the corruption report.
And state Sen. Emanuel Jones, D-Decatur, became the first elected DeKalb Democrat to publicly demand that May step down last week when he said that May should "do the right thing and resign."
Our AJC colleague Mark Niesse reported that May told supporters he's spent “quiet time” pondering his political future, but that he has previously said he won’t step down unless he’s asked to by the taxpayers of the county. He will face an election next year if he chooses to stick it out.
Holcomb's still-evolving proposal would change that dynamic. It would likely call for a transition to a professional manager under the oversight of the county commission, much like some other metro Atlanta counties operate.
He's quietly reached out to other DeKalb lawmakers, but he acknowledges it won't be easy.
"It's going to be a heavy lift," he said. "But we need to try."
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