Georgia lawmakers rejected several bills focused on DeKalb this year, including proposals to eliminate the county's CEO position, institute a more thorough cityhood creation process and expand MARTA lines.
Meanwhile, the Georgia General Assembly passed other measures such as the potential city of Stonecrest and minor changes to local laws.
Here’s a roundup of how DeKalb-related issued fared this year after the annual legislative session concluded early Friday morning:
- Voters will decide in a November referendum whether to form the city of Stonecrest in southeast DeKalb, according to Sentate Bill 208.
- The DeKalb CEO position will remain in place after legislation to abolish the chief executive role, SB378, didn't pass.
- Creation of a citizen-led panel to review DeKalb's government structure stalled when SB421 didn't receive a final vote.
- Though a MARTA expansion proposal passed for the city of Atlanta, DeKalb was excluded. House Bill 1144 would have allowed DeKalb residents to vote next year on a half-percent sales tax to fund a potential light rail system along the Emory/Clifton Corridor and a heavy rail extension along Interstate 20 to Stonecrest Mall.
- The proposed city of Greenhaven, SB221, didn't advance.
- Lawmakers didn't act on SB375, which would have required deeper studies and more rigorous rules before cities could be created.
- No cities in DeKalb expanded through annexations.
- Residents of recently created cities won't be required to pay more in taxes for DeKalb's pension liabilities as sought by SB711.
- DeKalb's Organizational Act was changed to extend the deadline for county audit reports and to clarify government purchasing rules, according to HB1146.
- Citations for minor ordinance or code violations can be delivered by affixing them on the property of the accused, according to HB1115.
- The process for creating community improvement districts in DeKalb municipalities was outlined in SB225.
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