A crowded field of candidates yielded only one clear winner Tuesday in Brookhaven’s first city elections for mayor and city council. Georgia’s newest city is scheduled to be up and running in six weeks.
Jim Eyre, owner of a real estate investment company, was the only outright winner, garnering more than half of votes for the District 2 city council seat.
Attorney J. Max Davis claimed just under the 49 percent of votes for mayor, setting him up for a run-off election with computer consultant Sandy Murray, the next highest vote-getter.
Tuesday’s vote also left the city council seats in districts 1, 3 and 4 headed for Dec. 4 run-off elections. Two dozen candidates were vying for the five seats.
The city officially begins operations two weeks later, on Dec. 17.
Brookhaven’s newly elected officials are expected to take over planning for the new city from the Governor’s Commission on Brookhaven. But Tuesday’s vote failed to yield a three-person quorum necessary to start making the decisions needed for the city to operate.
Brookhaven resident Patty Green said she had been inundated with phone calls soliciting votes for local candidates. She initially opposed cityhood, but now has mixed feelings.
“Some of my friends live in Dunwoody and Sandy Springs, and they tell me they love it,” said Green, 45. “I’m trying to be a realistic optimist.”
A number of Brookhaven voters said they were intrigued by the local politicking, but the presidential race was by far the main draw.
“My primary objective was to select the president,” said Corey Spicer, who waited about 45 minutes to vote at Briarwood Recreation Center. “I actually need to become more educated about local politics,” said the 35 year-old massage therapist and emergency medical technician.
The incoming officials face an aggressive deadline, with hiring being one of their key tasks. The Governor’s Commission, tasked with helping the city ease in creation, has begun accepting resumes and applications for city manager, clerk, attorney and accountant.
The city also is looking to hire police officers, with a new police department expected to take shape next spring or summer. Most candidates agreed that a city manager would need to hire Brookhaven’s police chief first, to help shape that force.
The city must also must choose vendors to provide most city services, from payroll and accounting to parks management and public works. Would-be contractors have until Nov. 12 to respond to the request for proposals, giving commission appointees time to review the offers. Those volunteers will make recommendations on who to hire, but the City Council would have to sign off on any deals.
The tab for Brookhaven’s runoff election next month could run as much as $35,000, depending on other runoff elections in the county. However, the city would have two years to pay the bill, said Maxine Daniels, the county’s elections chief.
The city’s mayor will receive a salary of $16,000 annually, while council members will be paid $12,00o. The mayor and winners in districts 1 and 3 will serve through 2015. Winners in district 2 and 4 serve through 2013.
Also Tuesday, voters narrowly rejected a bid to put about 11,000 residents of unincorporated north-central DeKalb County inside Chamblee’s city boundaries. The vote against annexation means Chamblee’s borders will remain intact.
A “yes” vote would have extended them south from DeKalb-Peachtree Airport to Interstate 85 and made Chamblee the county’s third-largest city with about 27,000 residents.
About the Author
