A mystery email has surfaced suggesting Clayton County Commission Chairman Eldrin Bell wants to move the Lake Spivey community, among the county's most affluent neighborhoods, into nearby Henry County.
Bell said he's not involved in such a plan and he and others say it makes no sense.
"It's rogue politics,'" said Bell who is facing an Aug. 21 runoff as he seeks his third term as the county commission chairman, a job that pays $142,733.28 a year.
The email came to the attention of county officials about a month ago at which time the five commissioners voted unanimously to investigate the alleged secret plan to move the county boundary lines. But Bell says he will ask the board Tuesday to drop the matter because it's a waste of taxpayers' money and a bogus attempt to discredit his re-election bid.
"It's an effort to make me look bad before the runoff," said Bell, who is facing former Clayton County Police chief Jeff Turner in the runoff. Bell said he would no longer be able to serve on the commission if such a plan took place. Turner said he isn't behind any effort to discredit Bell. He said he spoke with some Lake Spivey residents who assured him there was no plan to leave the county. Turner said he was "disturbed" by the email, which was an alleged correspondence between Bell and the head of a firm helping with his re-election bid. Turner thinks the email is authentic. "I'd love to see [Bell's] emails," leading up to the email in question, Turner said.
Officials in both counties said the likelihood of Lake Spivey becoming solely a part of Henry is nil. There has been no discussion about the matter between the two counties, officials in both counties said.
Clayton has not hired anyone yet to look into the matter, county manager Wade Starr said. An attorney with the Association County Commissioners of Georgia said giving Lake Spivey to Henry involves redrawing county lines, a plan that would take months, involve courts and grand juries in both counties and affect voting districts and census data.
The Lake Spivey community straddles Clayton and Henry County, with most of it in Clayton, just east of Jonesboro. It is named for the lake created from a dam built in the 1940s by the late Dr. Walter Spivey and his family. The bucolic community includes 25 to 30 neighborhoods where home prices range up to $5 million. The area is home to former U.S. Surgeon general David Satcher.
The rumor has baffled Henry officials who say they're not interested in taking on Lake Spivey.
"I have no clue how this rumor got started," Henry Commission Chair Elizabeth "B.J." Mathis said. "Henry County has no interest whatsoever in annexing any of Clayton County's property. Residential properties are the biggest users of county services and rarely generate enough in taxes to cover the cost. We don't need additional citizens from other counties to service."
As for Clayton, losing Lake Spivey would mean losing millions of dollars in taxes in a county already beset with foreclosures and declining property values. Lake Spivey accounts for 30 percent to 44 percent of the county's tax revenue, according to tax commissioner Terry Baskin, also a Lake Spivey resident.
A 34-percent hike in the millage rate last year helped Clayton collect more than $216 million in taxes in 2011, up 5 percent from the year before, said Baskin who has been tax commissioner since 2004.
"I wouldn't think of residing in Henry County if I was forced to," Baskin said. "Not that Henry is a bad county. I've lived in Clayton County for over 21 years. I plan to stay in Clayton County. I also represent Clayton as tax commissioner. If [annexation] were to happen, I'd have to relinquish my position."
But some observers say the idea of Lake Spivey seceding from Clayton isn't so far-fetched in light of the current economic downturn. Home values are down substantially in Clayton while homes in Henry haven't fared as badly.
The email that touched off the specter was brought to the attention of the board after copies were sent to different county officials. In it, a person named "Anthony" said Bell hired him to work on social media for his re-election bid. The letter included a copy of an email sent to Bell supposedly from Mark Rountree, head of Duluth-based Landmark Communications.
"It's a total and utter lie," said Rountree whose company is doing some re-election work for Bell. Rountree noted that the email incorrectly spelled his name. He also said the return address of the letter containing the email is an extended stay hotel.
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