I have two questions for the AJC’s April Hunt and one for the city of Avondale after reading this latest AJC annexation article…

First to Ms. Hunt -

1.  Does the city of Decatur really care whether residents way up near Doraville accept annexation?   Are we really simplistic enough to think its even remotely an apples-to-apples comparison?

2.  Is it really accurate to assert that it was negative vocal opposition at commission meetings that killed Decatur’s annexation plan?

So, assuming that the city had bullet-proof data to show how a large-scale annexation would reduce property taxes, all it would take to kill such a huge plan would be vocal opposition by nonresidents at a commission meeting?  So riddle me this – assuming that this vocal opposition represents the will of the annexed areas (which is still not really known) and the initiative failed to get the necessary 50% vote, would the city commissioners really be any worse for wear?  Might they actually be better off for having tried to lower residents’ taxes?

As I’ve said before, I believe it had a lot more to do with the irreconcilable student enrollment data than anything else.  But that’s just my not-so-humble opinion.

And finally, to Avondale -

3.  Avondale, I love you, but why so reactionary?  If you want to annex part of College Ave,  just do it!  Why are you letting Decatur’s actions dictate your border?

Robert Elrod reports that yesterday’s Soup-Off at the Corner Pub raised an impressive $7,000 for the Trackside Employee Fund.   Also, Robert adds that “there will be a Chowderoff this Saturday at 4PM, and owner Joshua Elrod will donate 20% of the proceeds to the Fund.”

Trackside “refugee” David over at InDecatur has pictures and a report from the event.

According to a note in the AJC about the mayor’s Tuesday State of the City Address, a recent audit showed that Decatur has nearly $7 million in reserves “or about 40 percent of its operating budget”.

What does that mean?  That unlike Atlanta, DeKalb County and a ton of other local governments that have been living paycheck to paycheck, we’ve got a nice cushion to support us while we figure out how to balance a budget with less state revenue coming in.

I don’t know about you, but I certainly prefer well thought-out cutbacks to panic-stricken, knee-jerk cutbacks.

Seems like “progressive” Decatur is looking a bit more fiscally conservative these days.