Proposed DeKalb city LaVista Hills’ finances questioned
The proposed city of LaVista Hills may not be as financially sound as portrayed by a University of Georgia study.
The UGA study relied on current DeKalb County property tax rates, but the legislation authorizing LaVista Hills capped its tax rates at a lower level, resulting in lower estimated revenue for the city.
Instead of a $1.7 million surplus projected by UGA, LaVista Hills would have had a projected deficit of about $114,000 under its maximum tax rate in 2014, according to an analysis by Russell Carleton, a researcher who lives in the LaVista Hills area and who is opposed the cityhood proposal.
Supporters of LaVista Hills said they remain confident that their city of about 67,000 residents is financially feasible.
Voters will decide on cityhood during a Nov. 3 referendum.
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.
