Crowds swamp Dunwoody charter talks

Dunwoody is among the newest cities to be formed in metro Atlanta, but it almost certainly won’t be the last — there are four different proposals for new cities in DeKalb County alone.

Barely 5 years old, Dunwoody’s style of government is showing wrinkles.

Like many of the newly formed metro Atlanta cities, charter reviews are required after five years, so residents can decide whether any modifications to the city’s bylaws are necessary. But while previous charter commissions in other new cities barely drew attention, crowds have grown so large in Dunwoody that meetings are now being shifted to larger and larger meeting rooms.

At issue is how much power the Dunwoody City Council should have without referendums. That matter, paramount at the city’s founding, has reignited the same passions raised when the city broke away from DeKalb County five years ago.

The current controversy centers on whether the City Council should be allowed to take over fire services from DeKalb County without a vote of residents. The current charter allows local fire protection, but it doesn’t allow for what it costs.

Local discontent has been building for a while.

Two years ago, voters overwhelmingly rejected two $33 million bond issues the city proposed to use for parks. More recently, yard signs popped up all over town protesting the city’s approval of a $425,000 multi-use trail through Brook Run Park, a $1 million roundabout near Dunwoody High School and a $2.3 million redesign of Dunwoody Village Parkway.

Now, residents are expressing themselves at regular meetings of the Dunwoody Charter Commission.

On a recent rainy night, more than 50 residents tried to squeeze into a second-floor meeting room at City Hall where the five-member citizens’ panel is reviewing Dunwoody’s bylaws.

“I think we’ve got an empire-building city council,” Ed Palmer told the commission last week. “I don’t want you to be a part of that.”

Right now, the city’s property tax rate is capped at 3.04 mills. Adding fire services would push the mill levy over the cap.

Last month, the commission voted 3-2 to allow the city to assume the service, charge residents the same tax rate as DeKalb charges, plus give the city authority to raise it by 20 percent. That measure was rescinded at a later meeting.

Currently, businesses and homeowners pay DeKalb County $6.1 million in taxes each year for fire protection. That’s about $162 for the average Dunwoody home valued at $325,000.

DeKalb County Commissioner Larry Johnson said he’s not surprised at what he sees happening in Dunwoody.

“Most folks love the idea of having their government closer to the people, but you’re still creating certain levels of beaureaucracy that deal with zoning, code enforcement, public safety and public policy,” he said. “Closer to the people doesn’t necessarily mean big change.”

Charter Commission Chairman Max Lehman said he welcomes local input, but he’s disappointed so many bring up topics outside the panel’s purview, like the park trail, the roundabout and the street redesign.

“I think there is a disconnect,” he said. “I think the outcome of those projects would have been different if there were better communication between residents and their elected officials.”

He recommends elected officials hold more town hall meetings where all views can be exchanged in an informal setting.

City officials say residents have numerous opportunities to weigh in at public forums before any project is approved.

Mayor Mike Davis said overall sentiment from those forums showed support for the three projects, but opponents of each have aligned to form a larger group with a louder voice.

Davis also said he never hears residents complain when when DeKalb County raises the tax rate for its fire service.

The Charter Commission must finish work by Oct. 1, then submit any proposed changes to the local legislative delegation. From there, the recommendations may be introduced for action by the General Assembly.