Brookhaven city leaders are asking DeKalb County to agree to a November referendum to settle a controversial annexation attempt.
The Brookhaven City Council’s unanimous request came in a special called meeting Friday, just days after two heated public meetings on the city-supported effort to annex the Toco Hill shopping center and surrounding neighborhoods.
Some residents have alleged their signatures were forged on the annexation petition, allegations City Attorney Jeremy Berry said Brookhaven takes seriously and is investigating. The petition purports to have the signatures of 64 percent of the area’s active voters and 62 percent of landowners — above the 60 percent minimum.
If the petition signatures meet that threshold, Georgia laws governing annexations allow the Brookhaven City Council to approve the request without involving the county. But Mayor John Ernst said Friday that if the county agrees, the city is willing to put the matter up for a public vote.
“There were several concerns raised during public meetings,” Ernst said in a statement. “A popular referendum would allay all concerns, so I call upon our partners in DeKalb County to let the people vote on whether they would like to be in the City of Brookhaven.”
The city’s resolution calls on the county to authorize a referendum by 12:01 p.m. on July 25. Otherwise, Brookhaven city leaders intend to vote on the annexation petition that night as previously planned. The city held a required public hearing on the proposal June 28.
Quinn Hudson, a spokesman for the county, said Friday that officials had not received the resolution yet and could not comment on the city’s request. In a public meeting the county hosted June 27, county officials said they’ve had limited communication with Brookhaven about the petition.
“I’ve yet to sit in a meeting with anyone from Brookhaven to discuss this annexation,” DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond said. “This hasn’t happened.”
Thurmond and county commissioners have expressed concerns about the impact on the county, which stands to lose millions in property taxes if the area becomes part of Brookhaven. County officials said EDENS, the real estate developer that owns part of the Toco Hill shopping center, opposes the annexation, too.
Brookhaven officials said Thurmond requested the referendum. Burke Brennan, a city spokesman, said Thurmond told attendees that the county’s June 27 meeting was to answer any questions “so you can make an informed opinion when it’s time for you to vote.”
“To the crowd he was speaking to (residents), a vote would be a referendum,” Brennan said in an email.
Thurmond said in a statement Friday that he has not called for a referendum. He has not made any decision on Brookhaven’s resolution.
“If and when I receive Brookhaven’s resolution, I will take it under consideration and will act in the best interest of all of DeKalb’s 780,000 residents,” he said.
The city’s resolution expands the area that would be annexed and includes all of the unincorporated areas south of Interstate 85, west of Clairmont Road and north of the Atlanta city limits. The previous petition excluded some parts of that area, creating an island of unincorporated land that would have remained in the county.
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