Fresh start proposed by moving DeKalb’s government
Excerpts from Interim DeKalb CEO Lee May’s State of the County address
- "I come before you to report on the state of DeKalb County government, and I'm pleased to report that we are turning the corner. We are moving in the right direction."
- "Let me be very clear: There is no tolerance for corruption in my administration. … I want everyone to know that we will stamp out corruption at its roots."
- "There is this sacred trust between the public and its government. And in DeKalb County, this trust has been broken. But I make this vow to you today: I will do everything in my power to mend it."
- "The redevelopment of Memorial Drive is essential to the future of DeKalb County. It is my vision to turn it into our 'downtown DeKalb,' through tourism, office, commercial and residential development."
- "The catalyst for this wholesale transformation will be the creation of a new government center at the heart of Memorial Drive. … This new government center will be the anchor of 'downtown DeKalb.'"
Interim DeKalb County CEO Lee May doesn’t know yet how much it will cost or when it would be built, but he announced a plan Thursday to form a downtown DeKalb by moving government operations to a complex near I-285 and courting development.
May announced the plan during his State of the County address, saying the government center would spur the local economy in the heart of the county’s unincorporated area, less than five miles from its current location in the city of Decatur.
He won’t know details of the project’s expense and scope until after initial designs for the area are created over the next year.
May also will have to recruit business partners if he wants to create anything like a town center around the government buildings.
“To those who are skeptical, I would just tell them to watch us and partner with us to make this happen,” May said after his speech. “We do need a new government center that’s more accessible to the total population. … We want to consolidate as many of our county functions into one area as possible.”
Former Decatur Mayor Bill Floyd, who now leads the DeKalb Municipal Association, said the move could create the impression that the county is fleeing its cities.
A desire for more control over government has motivated several groups to seek the formation of the cities of LaVista Hills, South DeKalb, Stonecrest and Tucker.
Floyd said a downtown DeKalb would need more than government buildings to become a reality.
“Downtowns and cities are hard work. It takes more than a statement saying you’re going to do it,” Floyd said. “Is there much out there to attract private business out there? I’m not so sure about that.”
A government center could be built on county land near a cluster of existing facilities that include a jail, tax office, elections office and the Kensington MARTA station.
Many of the county’s 1,637 employees in Decatur could be relocated to the new government center, although the courthouse at least would have to remain because Decatur is the county seat.
Joe Arrington, a resident of unincorporated DeKalb, said the May’s initiative is worth a try if it could revitalize Memorial Drive, which stretches from Stone Mountain to downtown Atlanta and forms a border between the county’s northern and southern sides.
“That would be an economic catalyst for other private development to go in,” Arrington said.
May pitched the government center as part of a fresh start for DeKalb after several years of corruption allegations, which led to the suspension of county CEO Burrell Ellis and the resignation of former Commissioner Elaine Boyer.
Ellis has pleaded not guilty to charges that he coerced contractors into giving him campaign contributions, and Boyer is awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to bilking constituents out of more than $90,000.
But Commissioner Nancy Jester, who replaced Boyer, said May’s proposal is little more than a diversion from the county’s real issues.
“What DeKalb needs to focus on is competent government and not the distraction of moving government,” Jester said. “Let’s talk about accountability, improved disclosure, and prudent budgeting to show taxpayers we’re making progress before asking them to fund a new office.”
Supporters of the move, like Commissioner Sharon Barnes Sutton, said new buildings would fix some of DeKalb’s perceived problems of inaccessibility and poor customer service.
“It spreads the convenience of our government,” said Sutton, the chairwoman of the county’s budget committee. “There has to be an investment in this county if we want to succeed and prosper.”
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.
