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Effort to eliminate DeKalb’s powerful leader falls short

DeKalb County is the only one of Georgia’s 159 counties that has a CEO position. DeKalb’s CEOs have been mired in controversy in recent years, but state lawmakers didn’t approve a measure to abolish the role. MARK NIESSE / MARK.NIESSE@AJC.COM
DeKalb County is the only one of Georgia’s 159 counties that has a CEO position. DeKalb’s CEOs have been mired in controversy in recent years, but state lawmakers didn’t approve a measure to abolish the role. MARK NIESSE / MARK.NIESSE@AJC.COM
By Mark Niesse
March 27, 2016

Despite criticisms that DeKalb County's top government position concentrates power and leads to corruption, state lawmakers declined to pass a bill this year to eliminate the CEO job.

Legislators who opposed the change said they weren't convinced the CEO role is the root of DeKalb's problems, and they wanted a broader review of the county's form of government.

DeKalb is the only county in Georgia with an elected CEO, while many other counties hire a manager or administrator to oversee government operations.

The measure to abolish the CEO, Senate Bill 378, didn't receive a vote in the Georgia House of Representatives before the legislative session concluded early Friday morning.

Please read the full story on MyAJC.com.

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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