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DeKalb News: Stonecrest city attorney steps down, names successor

Stonecrest Mayor Jason Lary, speaking at the Sept. 17, 2018 City Council meeting. TIA MITCHELL/TIA.MITCHELL@AJC.COM
Stonecrest Mayor Jason Lary, speaking at the Sept. 17, 2018 City Council meeting. TIA MITCHELL/TIA.MITCHELL@AJC.COM
By
Jan 8, 2019

Thompson “Tom” Kurrie Jr., the first person to serve as city attorney in Stonecrest, is stepping away from the role.

He notified Mayor Jason Lary in December that he would no longer be working for the city. Kurrie recommended that Winston Denmark be designated for the position.

A spokesman for Lary said the Stonecrest City Council approved the change at its Jan. 2 meeting.

Denmark currently serves as city attorney in Lithonia and is a former DeKalb County assistant attorney. He is a partner at one of two firms hired to perform legal services for Stonecrest.

VIDEO: Previous coverage of Stonecrest city government

The council member is accusing him of violations.

Lary signed an agreement that authorized paying $185 per hour for attorneys under a joint partnership between Coleman Talley LLP, where Kurrie works, and Fincher Denmark LLC.

Lary was elected mayor in March 2017, just a few months after voters authorized Stonecrest’s creation. Kurrie and Lary both worked with the Stonecrest Cityhood Alliance, an organization that backed the effort.

About the Author

Tia Mitchell is the AJC’s Washington Bureau Chief and a co-host of the "Politically Georgia" podcast. She writes about Georgia’s congressional delegation, campaigns, elections and the impact that decisions made in D.C. have on residents of the Peach State.

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