Decatur Mayor Reacts to DeKalb’s Annexation Moratorium Idea
Decatur Metro | October 13, 2011Yesterday’s Champion Newspaper reported that the DeKalb County Commission was considering asking the state legislature to place a moratorium on “on annexation and incorporation in DeKalb County to allow an analysis by a committee.”
Commissioner Jeff Rader explained the initiative to the paper saying that recent city incorporations “seem to be formed around a political group” that adds a “tax base that has really nothing to do with their city,”
What would this study committee do? According to the paper…
The annexation and incorporation study committee would create standards for evaluating incorporations that include criteria for determining reasonable boundaries for the existing or new cities; an analysis of the tax base within the proposed boundaries of the new city and in the remaining unincorporated areas;
In response to the article, Decatur Mayor Bill Floyd tells DM he’s “sorry to see this.” He continues…
I think it is a reaction by the county to use the State of Georgia to stop or delay the creation of a new city when they can’t prevent it from happening themselves. It is clearly an attempt to prevent the people from having a choice. The creation of any new city requires extensive study into how a new city can be sustained and always results in a significant reduction in services necessary for the county to provide in the area affected.
The idea that people living in an area had no impact or influence on development in the area is as far fetched as contending that they should be unable to decide if they want to be part of a new city, or part of an old one for that matter, simply because it might have some perceived impact on someone not involved. People have a right to choose and that privilege should never be denied to them.
The contention that living in unincorporated Dekalb County offers less taxes is quickly dissolving. Cities by their very nature provide a higher quality of life and a higher level of services than counties. Taxes are much like anything else you buy, if you don’t think you are getting your monies worth they are too high. People who live in cities believe that what they get is worth the cost. Those who don’t live inside a city are beginning to recognize the difference that cities offer.
Hopefully the State will realize that this is an issue they do not need to get involved in.
Good for the mayor. He hit the nail on the head.
Also, I can’t help but think in my head as I read this that it’s simply a case of DeKalb county govt being upset that they won’t have complete control of another section of the county and more importantly, the money from it.
I can only imagine the “CEO” (why we are the only county in the state with a CEO is baffling) and the commisioners of our county thinking that they won’t have as much money to waste and mismanage and spend friviously while dimmishing the numbers of first responders and etc.
+1
+1
I doubt the state will intervene on Dekalb Co.’s behalf, but stranger things have happened. The Dekalb Co. government needs an overhaul – the public services are a terrible value for the money.
The City of Decatur, in the other hand, seems to be very well run with excellent public services. Expensive, yes, but worth it.
I’m happy with my Dekalb services, and they’re cheap. How are they a terrible value? Code enforcement is the only one that I can think of that is a poor value.
I agree. I’m happy with Dekalb County services. If I were a Decatur resident, I wouldn’t be to proud to be lumped in with Dunwoody (and now possibly Brookhaven). From the (very) little I know of this, Dunwoody residents came out pretty far ahead monetarily after incorporation in terms of county services they retained access to versus how much county taxes they pay. But I happy to be further edumacated by this group.
Jeff – You do know the history of the City of Decatur, right ? It was incorporated before Atlanta (i.e. – older than Atlanta). It was not built up as a “white flight” suburb like Brookhaven. Please don’t lump Decatur with Brookhaven.
As for Dekalb Co., its top management is crippled by nepotism and corruption. This is far less of a “go Brookhaven” than it is “Dekalb Co. has created its own mess.” That aside, I doubt Mayor Bill Floyd was thinking about Brookhaven, but is trying to keep the door open for future City of Decatur annexations.
“It was not built up as a “white flight” suburb like Brookhaven. Please don’t lump Decatur with Brookhaven.”
I never said anything like that.
Sorry, I didn’t see that there are two Jeffs.
I’m guessing you don’t have kids?
I don’t have kids, and I agree the schools in Dekalb (and in many other counties) are having serious problems, but a new city in Dekalb cannot start it’s own school system, so that’s a non-issue when it comes to incorporation.
Jeff’s concerns may stem from some Brookhaven businesses’ plans to create a City of Brookhaven without as much as mentioning it to surrounding residential neighborhoods, as reported in the AJC last week.
I have told many people that I pay my Decatur taxes proudly. Yes they are high, but I couldn’t be happier with the product.
Ditto
From the point of view of DeKalb Commissioners, what do the City of Dunwoody and now the City of Brookhaven have in common?
Basically, cities take the county’s “market share” of municipal services and undercut wealth redistribution.
The county has to provide basic services to all of its citizens even those that cannot afford the price point. So it subsidizes these citizens with revenues collected from wealthier areas.
Creation and growth of city governments present an opportunity for the wealthier areas to escape this redristubution and to create competitive services that may outperform the county’s offerings.
Defection to these city services undermine funding for the county’s version and amplify their decline. The result is a patchwork of fortress communities guarding against their poverty stricken “unincorporated” neighbors.
It can go the other way though. Many Florida counties offer superior education, police and emergency services leading their cities to subcontract these services.
Well put. Regardless of where you fall on the issue, that’s the bigger picture. Pure and simple.
I cited Florida because of personal experience there. Not picking on other states.
“so we don’t end up with a part of the county that can’t support its basic services,”
This gets to the problem Dekalb has always had with accurately accounting it’s basic service expenses. They’d rather force constraints on municipal growth through legislation than come up with a feasable billing schedule.
Hey, we know why these cities are being created. Take tax base of rich white folks away from jurisdictions that have poor black folks in ‘em.
But I don’t expect much sympathy on that point here, since Decatur is taking advantage of the same trend, building McMansions throughout Oakhurst and becoming as lily-white (and eventually as Republican) as Dunwoody.
I didn’t realize that it was the City of Decatur that was behind the teardowns and re-builds.
All along I thought it was the individual owners of these lots doing this.
Thank you for bringing this to my attention.
Take it easy, Skeptic. I’m pretty sure Dana meant “Decatur” as short for “residents of Decatur”.
As such, Dana goes have somewhat of a valid point. Gentrification raises the average value of homes prices. Given the income inequality gap between black and white residents in the Atlanta metro area, it’s far more likely white people will move into those houses than black people, effectively lowering the black population percentage. I doubt there’s a diabolical plot to produce that outcome, it’s simply an unintended byproduct of gentrification in those particular neighborhoods.
However, I can’t imagine under what scenario Decatur would flip completely over and turn Republican. Decatur is dark, dark blue with a few, token GOP thrown in to keep it from becoming 100% Democratic. Also, the City of Decatur has been the City of Decatur for a long, long time. It was not created as tax base island.
Finally, I believe our Mayor is more concerned about the City of Decatur’s possible annexation plans of surrounding areas in unincorporated Dekalb Co. (and not currently in Decatur) rather than Brookhaven being incorporated.
Dana is ill informed once again.
I have studied voting patterns in Decatur and despite the pretty rapid demographic changes in the Oakhurst precinct over the past 10 years or so, there has been no real shift in partisan allegiance.
In the most recent Presidential primary election in 2008, 87% of Oakhurst precinct voters voted in the Democratic primary and only 13% voted in the Republican primary.
In the 2010 Gubenatorial primary election, again, 87% in the Oakhurst precinct voted in the Democratic primary vs. only 13% in the Republican Primary, despite the Republicans having a much more competitive primary race.
In the 2010 general election 82% voted for Barnes and only 12% for Deal.
Again, despite the changes in demographics, Oakhurst remains the most Democratic precinct in one of the most Democratic cities in the most Democratic counties in the state. There is really no evidence that we’re trending to be lily white, Dunwoody Republicans, Dana.
I hope Mayor Floyd will be so open-minded when the new city of Great Lakes secedes…
Mike – Do you have any references to back up such a bold insinuation ?
Rather, you are right about one thing – Floyd thinking about Great Lakes, but in the exact opposite of the way you’re implying. It’s far more likely the Great Lakes area not already incorporated into Decatur, the NE section, being incorporated into Decatur rather than the other way around:
“The section of Superior Avenue north of Scott Boulevard is also considered part of this neighborhood.[1] Ridgeland Park, located northeast of the Clairemont – Great Lakes neighborhood, is not presently considered part of the neighborhood. It was developed later (1946–1950) and is in unincorporated DeKalb County. However, in 2008 the city of Decatur began evaluating annexation of this neighborhood, which is contiguous to the rest of the development.”
source : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clairemont_-_Great_Lakes_%28Decatur%29
Um, David it was a joke… What people don’t realize is that the county can’t subsist on property taxes from residential areas alone. All of these new cities in the county are taking away large areas of the commercial tax base and ultimately will leave the remaining residents of unincorporated DeKalb in a position of not being self-sustaining. If people are unhappy about how DeKalb County is being run they need to vote in better representation, not opt out of the County. There is no reason the County can’t be run as responsibly as Decatur is (spoken as someone whose house straddles the line of unincorporated DeKalb and the City of Decatur and has the best of both worlds).
Yes, the area of Brookhaven is a ‘white flight’ community with no history, will be a fortress of rich white people, and is clearly just a GOP plot that Bill Floyd secretly hates but he had to come out in support of new cities to help future annexation plans in Decatur.
Seriously, are you folks even aware of the ignorance that you are spouting?
You folks can go on spouting off from your high horse about the motives of “those people” in Brookhaven..I think Mayor Floyd said it best.
“The contention that living in unincorporated Dekalb County offers less taxes is quickly dissolving. Cities by their very nature provide a higher quality of life and a higher level of services than counties…People who live in cities believe that what they get is worth the cost. Those who don’t live inside a city are beginning to recognize the difference that cities offer.”
Before I reply, can you tell me who your comment is directed towards?
DM- no need to reply unless you really want to. I was attempting, rather poorly it seems, sarcasm. I should have directed my post to those who were actually making the silly statements (maybe three or four) than to the comment thread at large.
The history of settlement in Brookhaven goes back to the 18th century. There was a post office in the area at Old Cross Keys as early at 1792. It was one of the earliest settled areas of what is now known as DeKalb county…settled even prior to Decatur. Most of the area was incorporated in the early 20th century. The planned neighborhood of Brookhaven dates back to 1910. Oglethorpe has been there since 1915. I just bristle at the idea that somehow Brookhaven is a ‘white flight’ suburb…whatever that means.
I think if you read Mayor Floyd’s statement, you can take it at face value. I’m sure he is concerned about Decatur’s interests, but he is pretty clear on where he stands on new cities.
And it is a silly statement by Dana Blakenhorn about taking rich white folks from areas to create cities and that it is a white plot to turn everything GOP. I should have just left it alone. Needless to say, the demographics of the areas around Brookhaven are diverse, both racially and politically.
All I should have said is that I agree with Mayor Floyd’s statement instead of confusing the issue.
I think the point the mayor is missing here is that the approach that has been taken to creating the maps for these newly incorporated has been somewhat haphazard.
If you look at the proposed City of Brookhaven map, the map makers have drawn in commercial properties but left out the neighboring residential areas – thus creating islands. Also, these areas have little possibility of annexation AND more importantly, they have no opportunity to vote on the issue. In addition, this has been completely rushed. It was originally slated to put to a vote in 2014 but they are pushing for 2012 now. As the mayor pointed out, incorporation requires extensive research.
I think the moratorium is needed to provide a process and improved system for incorporation.
I agree with this statement posted “The moratorium is needed to provide a process and improved system for incorporation.” If DeKalb County is to go the way of Fulton and everything will be incorporated then let’s step back and do this in a logical manner- creating city boundaries that are fair and not allow cherry picking commercial areas hurting other communities.
For my neighborhood’s sake this is an interesting idea that I would support. Mike Jacobs and his group Citizens for North DeKalb (C4ND) have drawn a map for the proposed city of Brookhaven which includes all the commercial areas surrounding my neighborhood and not the residential.
Yes, Jacobs keep saying “that the “study area” map for Brookhaven is not a set of city boundaries and could be changed.” But what if it is not? What recourse does my neighborhood have? We have no say and no input.
A small group of 12 living in the north area of the Brookhaven study map created the map. It was not created by a fair representation of all who are included in the mapped area. No input from the south of the Brookhaven study map. The polling done by Jacobs only included the north area of the map, an area that is historical been associated with Chamblee not Brookhaven. Kind of wrong!
Jacobs’s original stated that Cityhood could not happen before 2014. Again what is the rush to get it vote on in 2012? Jacobs and C4ND are rushing it! The question to ask is why? Jacobs at a public meeting was asked if he would be willing to slow down this process. No direct answer from him. Neighborhoods are being bullied in this creation of Brookhaven. The moratorium would be welcomed to slow down this process.
The mayor and others covet DeKalbs commercial tax base. In the case of Decatur, the mayor would like to pick off Suburban Plaza. Dunwoody took Perimeter Center with the largest office submarket in the SE and a mall (despite the objections from Perimeter CID). Brookhaven wants Century Center and PDK airport. When cities annex these commercial nodes it diminishes the County’s ability to pay for roads, parks and other services. Moreover business owners can’t vote or opt out when new cities like Dunwoody or Brookhaven are formed.
Also the intergovernmental agreements allow city residents to only pay for roads and parks in their city. Don’t city residents drive outside their city? DeKalb cities also opt out of special police services like helicoptors, crime scene investigations, but what’s DeKalb going to do in an emergency when a city asks for help? Deny the request? It’s a lose lose option for counties. Counties can achieve an economy of scale in delivering some services that smaller cities cannot. Cities can provide more tailored services. There is a role for both governments.
Finally nothing in government is constant. Political leadership changes. The City of Atlanta has been well run and poorly run. They are probably on the rebound. Some small cities have a difficult time filling leadership roles. It wasn’t that many years ago DeKalb was considered well run. Today it is less consistent, but it shouldn’t be written off.
To correct a few inaccurate statements:
It has been pointed out several times that the “study area” map for Brookhaven is not a set of city boundaries and could be changed. A final decision on that front from the Citizens for North DeKalb group is expected by the end of October, and then there will be opportunity for further public comment in November.
Having been involved with the citizens’ group, I can assure you that extensive research is being performed and extensive facts will be presented to the public in November.
WAH’s comment has no basis in fact. Demographically, the proposed City of Brookhaven will be quite diverse.
It is doubtful that Commissioner Rader’s proposal will get any traction in the General Assembly. Whether local citizens want the county or a municipality to provide their municipal services should their choice, not the county’s. Dissatisfaction with DeKalb County is a logical consequence of the county’s substantial millage rate hike earlier this year, particularly in areas like Brookhaven where the property digest has not decreased and taxes went up significantly.
Commissioner Rader voted for that increase, if I am not mistaken.
So you’re going to hope to get support from the people of Decatur because the people of Brookhaven feel they are paying too much taxes? LOL. I am quite happy with Commissioner Rader’s representation, with the possible exception of his impinging my rights to a breakfast bar at our local nudie joint.
Not looking for support. I was in the neighborhood and thought I’d stop and chat.
Ultimately, the health of DeKalb County is going to weigh on the city of Decatur also. Having lived in the Atlanta metropolitan area for 30 years (yikes!), our greatest problem is increasing Balkanization. The head of the “Atlanta Tea Party” lives in Dacula, fercryinoutloud! How does she even get to weigh in on Atlanta transportation issues? If anyone from Dunwoody, Roswell or the future Brookhaven were asked on a national broadcast where they were from, they would say “Atlanta” or the “Atlanta area.”
All cities in Dekalb except Dunwoody have higher millage rates than unincorporated DeKalb. Dunwoody is underwritten by the Perimeter Center. Dunwoody’s millage will also be increasing if the citizens pass the parks referendum. DeKalb’s library, sanitation, police department, fire and rescue are as good as any other jurisdiction in the region. The HOST sales tax has been used for many years to rollback the effective tax rates in DeKalb. Using the penny for HOST has prevented the County from having a transportation penny as Gwinnett and Cobb have implemented.
Here is the district represented by Mr. Jacobs: http://repjacobs.com/house-district-80/
Having just finished as a non-voting member of the Metro Atlanta Transportation Roundtable, I don’t think the creation of cities is hurting Metro Atlanta at all. The mayors who were involved in that process — Mayor Floyd, Mayor Reed, Johns Creek Mayor Mike Bodker, and others — showed some real leadership and regional thinking throughout the process.
DeKalb needs to look inward regarding its fiscal health. Compare the number of positions in the DeKalb County Government to similar counties like Cobb and Gwinnett. That needs to be addressed in order to stave off future incorporations. Otherwise, the situation reaches a tipping point where unincorporated citizens like those in Brookhaven see neighboring cities providing better services more efficiently and want the same thing for themselves.
I would presume that is, in part, what Mayor Floyd means when he says: “The contention that living in unincorporated DeKalb County offers less taxes is quickly dissolving.”
[...] Decatur Mayor Bill Floyd also had a reaction, though probably not what Rader was hoping for: I think it is a reaction by the county to use the State of Georgia to stop or delay the creation of a new city when they can’t prevent it from happening themselves. It is clearly an attempt to prevent the people from having a choice. [...]
I think Mayor Floyd deserves a big F on this issue. Why is he vocal on this issue, so Decatur can gobble up commercial property? His proposed annexation a couple years back was a disaster. Floyd and Merriss attended public meetings in Forest Park and Midway Woods promoting annexation to those residents only to do a complete about face. Why the change of heart? Why did he persue annexation with the support Decatur residents? Anyone that read this blog knew why his proposal went no where, the comments here about those two neighborhoods were disgusting. You wonder why people think Decatur is becoming like Dunwoody? Go back to the annexation entries and you will find the evidence.
Mayor Floyd burned a lot of bridges and would have a hard time getting residents of those neighborhoods to agree to be annexed now. I was strongly for annexation but would fight it strongly if it were to come up again. There was a small annexation of about 6 McMansions from Midway Woods, nice cherry picking. The only options Decatur has left is gobbling up more commercial property.
Sorry should have wrote “Why did he pursue annexation WITHOUT the support Decatur residents?
The six homes on Midway were annexed at the request of the property owners. How is that cherry picking?
As an elected official, it’s Mayor Floyd’s obligation to protect our interests which, in this case, translates to options. Whether we should annex in the future is, at this point, irrelevant. What matters is that we retain to option of doing so should it prove desirable or necessary.
Even those currently against any annexation effort should respect the Mayor’s fighting to keep it on the table. Who would want elected officials that support reducing our future choices simply to serve today’s temporary conditions?
This moratorium resolution is the only item I have ever agreed with Commisioner Radar on. In particular the creation of Dunwoody, the expansion of Chamblee and now the push for the creation of a City of Brookhaven are having a balkanizing effect on DeKalb County. Dunwoody (where apprx 6 % of the county’s population was given apprx 15% of the tax base by going around home rule in the legislature, plus they convienently created islands of unincorporated land-one island houses a strip club) and Chamblee were able to disproportionately increase their net worth while having a negative effect on the county as a whole. The city of Brookhaven would do the same. Everyone is a loser with the creation of cities as now defined. While Dunwoody and Chamblee talk as if they provide an “enhanced” service delivery. A closer examination of services provided show they provide the same type but less of the services the county was providing. Where service is most negatively impacted is with public safety. A four mile stretch of I-285’s northern arc now has four 911 centers. This is irresponsible.
I have been greatly ashamed of DeKalb County’s elected officials financial stewardship but I’m not willing to create another government. The current laws create adversarial city and county governments. Not only do we see this in Dekalb but in all of the metro counties. It’s time to rethink this. The legislature should develop an option that works to meet the wants of more “local control” while meeting the demands of a large urban area. Almost always the voice of “local control” talks of zoning, code enforcement and parks. A township or village designation would meet the wants and needs of both. The townships or villages could drive zoning, development, code enforcement and parks, the quality of life issues at a lower cost than a full city gov’t while the county delivered public safety and infrastructure.
Our current path will stifle job growth, segregate and create financial hardships for all. It is time to deliver government that benefits each other ; not government the competes with each other.
The way we are heading we will all be drowned out under duplicate and competing governments for every square mile of DeKalb.
[...] commenter in Decatur Metro who calls himself “Ridgelandistan” described the situation accurately: Basically, cities take the county’s “market share” of municipal services and undercut wealth [...]
[...] line and even cutting taxes. This is what Decatur Mayor Bill Floyd meant when he recently said on a local Decatur blog: “The contention that living in unincorporated DeKalb County offers less taxes is quickly [...]