Decatur’s annexation master plan passed through the House Friday afternoon and was transferred to the Senate, with only two remaining legislative sessions Tuesday and Thursday. If the plan passes this week and is signed off by the governor, it goes on the ballot in November, when only those in the proposed annexation areas can vote.
The current master plan incorporates only 70 percent of the real property value in Decatur’s overall annexation plan. Significantly, it doesn’t include Suburban Plaza or the four commercial centers at North Decatur Road and Clairemont Avenue, both long coveted by the city. It now appears the annexation of those areas, if it happens at all, won’t be until next year.
The current plan is 66 percent commercial, 28 percent residential and six percent exempt (primarily DeKalb Medical Center and the United Methodist Children’s Home). The city’s present real estate tax digest is 85 percent residential and 15 percent commercial.
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