City of Stonecrest added to metro Atlanta’s map
Stonecrest will become a city of about 50,000 residents after voters approved its creation Tuesday.
The city will cover most of southeast DeKalb County, including areas near Lithonia and Stonecrest Mall.
Supporters of the cityhood effort said they want a local government that can help promote business growth in the region. They believe the city's future elected leaders will bring greater attention to the area than the county can, marketing it for businesses and cleaning up its streets.
The city will initially take control of a few services from the county, including code enforcement and zoning. A police force could be added later.
Stonecrest becomes the fourth city to incorporate in DeKalb in recent years. Dunwoody formed in 2008, Brookhaven in 2012 and Tucker this year.
The city will have a mayor and five city council members. Stonecrest will start doing business sometime next year.
About the Author
Mark Niesse is an enterprise reporter and covers elections and Georgia government for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and is considered an expert on elections and voting. Before joining the AJC, he worked for The Associated Press in Atlanta, Honolulu and Montgomery, Alabama. He also reported for The Daily Report and The Santiago Times in Chile.
