Cityhood supporters seek distance from DeKalb’s scandals
Corruption allegations involving DeKalb’s government are fueling support for cityhood advocates who want to get as far from the county as possible.
Supporters of the proposed cities of LaVista Hills and Tucker say their cities would provide more local control and a degree of separation from the county.
But skeptics of the cityhood movements argue that the cities would only take on a small amount of services, including parks, business licensing and community planning. Residents would still rely on DeKalb for education, water and sewer, trash collection, courts, libraries, jails and more.
Voters will decide on whether to form the cities during a Nov. 3 referendum.
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.
