Politics
Politics

DeKalb windfall may go toward parks and libraries

By Mark Niesse
Jan 24, 2016

A one-time cash infusion into DeKalb County’s government may be spent on building a recreation center, a library and sidewalks.

The county commission is debating how to allocate more than $21 million it expects to receive from refinancing bonds at low interest rates.

The project list includes $6.3 million for an intergenerational recreation center at Tobie Grant Park in the Scottdale neighborhood, $3 million for a library at Wade Walker Park south of Stone Mountain, $2.5 million for parks maintenance and $450,000 for sidewalks.

The money could also be used to build an $8.6 million animal shelter near DeKalb-Peachtree Airport, but the shelter may be funded through other sources such as short-term bonds.

The DeKalb Commission plans to revise the project list and vote on construction plans as soon as next month. The list anticipates up to $28 million that could be gained from the refinancing, though final amounts available may turn out to be lower.

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.

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