An effort to shape the future of cities and government in DeKalb County began Thursday night with the first meeting of a group tasked with fixing the county’s big problems.
The 17-member group, made up of elected officials and community leaders, set out to review cityhood movements and the county’s unique CEO governance structure.
It will also consider equitable distribution of resources between the county and its cities, as well as improving inadequate levels of government service. Several county residents complained about the lack of business development and roads filled with potholes.
Interim DeKalb CEO Lee May said he hopes to find consensus about how to fix DeKalb’s problems in one fell swoop, with proposals ready by next year for the state Legislature to consider.
“What we want to come up with are real strong recommendations that can outlive all of us,” May said.
DeKalb County includes 10 cities, and it could add more as soon as next year.
At least three cities — Briarcliff, Lakeside and Tucker — have been proposed, and some have suggested turning most all of the county’s incorporated areas into a city.
Another idea would be to create villages or townships in an effort to make government more local.
The Task Force on DeKalb County Operations plans to meet about three times a month through the end of the year.
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