Creation of the city of Tucker could remove as much as $5.9 million from DeKalb County per year in an extreme scenario, according to county estimates.
Tucker's impact on the county could be as low as $1.1 million as long as the city doesn't form its own police force, the county's analysis shows. Tucker's supporters have planned a small government that continues to rely on DeKalb police, though future city leaders could decide to start a city police department.
County commissioners learned about the financial implications of Tucker’s cityhood during a presentation last week about DeKalb’s upcoming 2016 budget.
The city of Tucker, which voters overwhelmingly approved during a Nov. 3 referendum, will take control of several services and associated revenue streams when it incorporates next year. As a result, DeKalb’s government may have to shrink.
Tucker plans to initially provide several basic services: parks and recreation, code enforcement and planning and zoning.
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