Mid-Week History: “Abolish Decatur!” 1977 Survey Said
Decatur Metro | May 4, 2011Oh how times have changed.
Sure, many us lament the loss of the Candler Hotel, the moving of the Death House on Sycamore Street and the replacement of WEST Courthouse Square with the “Birds from Hell” building. But all of this pales in comparison to an idea floated around Decatur in 1977.
I certainly didn’t live in Decatur back then – perhaps some long-time residents can provide some first-hand historical perspective in the comments – but needless to say Decatur was in a slightly different place in 1977. And apparently things were difficult enough that a majority of respondents to a survey by the Decatur Tax Payers League were in favor of abolishing the entire city if DeKalb couldn’t come up with a way lower taxes for residents. Apparently double-taxation with the County is nothing new. (Though the city rectified much of this problem recently)
But back in 1977, an independent City of Decatur government wasn’t enough of a “value-add” for a majority of survey respondents to keep the city intact. According to a July 13, 1977 article in a paper I can’t identify (DeKalb Era maybe??),
- 50% of respondents were in favor of transferring Police, Recreation and Planning Departments to the County.
- 51% of respondents were in favor of transferring the Fire Department to DeKalb County
- 58% of respondents were in favor of eliminating the city appraiser (something that has since happened)
- 70% of respondents were in favor of eliminating the “Around Decatur” newspaper published by the city
- 68% of respondents were in favor of eliminating the Decatur school system
- 51% of respondents were in favor of removing the charter of the city of Decatur if taxes could not be lowered.
Crazy, huh?
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Well, I’m thanking my lucky stars THAT didn’t happen. Been here for 8+ years and can’t imagine living anywhere else!
“68% of respondents were in favor of eliminating the Decatur school system” – Wow.
DeKalb County was a far different place in 1977. Mostly good government officials, excellent school system, progressive and forward-thinking residents.
DeKalb is now a cesspool of corruption and payoffs to friends and family. The school system is in total disarray.
Decatur certainly dodged a bullet by remaining independent.
AMB – I’d be interested in knowing more about this corruption and these payoffs. Where do you get such information?
How about starting with the joyrides that Dekalb County officials take on the Police Helicopter? How do you know about that? Can you describe even one instance in which this occurred? You don’t even have to link to examples. Just explain what you know.
Oh dear Randy the Ram (maybe that should be head in sand ostrich)… the school superintendent and others are under indictment. The Sheriff murdered the sheriff elect. Sempler spreads cash around to BOE and others. Vernon Jones never met a kickback or land deal he didn’t like. DeKalb pays a guy $150,000 for make work jobs and he can’t be fired. Wrongdoers are handed $200,000 just to leave government and keep their mouths shut. Police chiefs confiscate cars for private use and no indictments.
Not to mention the millions paid out in Federal reverse discrimination lawsuits and one of the guilty parties still runs DeKalb government.
Corruption. Patronage. Greed and kickbacks. It’s a cesspool.
Wait. Were those things wrong? Should they not have done them?
I admit that really don’t keep up with Dekalb County gov’t. Though I do try to pay attention to the bond rating and the water/sewer plans.
Now, about those helicopter joyrides… I think you might be underinformed on that one.
Randy, you truly are living with your head in the sand…..
I think that you are reading me wrong here. I was picking a DM fight with AMB about that flying flashlight/RAMBO comment a few weeks ago. (Among other things…)
Does the separation of concerns between DeKalb County and City of Decatur have deleterious impacts on either?
Yes. Witness the 10+ year fight Decatur has been waging to get the HOST funds from the County.
Makes you wonder what things will be like 35 years from today….
The Death House?
Re 68% being in favor of eliminating the school system: I’m interpreting that as being because most families who could afford it were sending their children to private schools so didn’t have much interest in improving the public schools or funding them. In this economy and decline of public education in Georgia, we have to be real careful that we do not get back to that place. CSD doesn’t seem to worry about the families who start out in CSD and then leave; after all, their leaving helps relieve increasing enrollment. But I do. We need exit interviews and surveys to find out why they leave. The history of the last 50 years indicates that school systems can turn around on a dime. The phenomenon won’t be white flight this time since we have lost diversity overall but flight of the upper-middle class families of whatever color.
Let’s give it another vote.
I remember seeing a half page ad in the Wall Street Journal placed by DeKalb County back in the 70’s. The ad was titled “DeKalb County, Georgia: The cream of Atlanta’s coffee.” It went on to describe the school system, the industrial base, and the conditions that existed in the county that made it a great place to locate a business. Although I was living in Virginia at the time, I remember it because I was raised here and completely agreed with the ad’s assessment of DeKalb.
How things have changed regarding the county. Decatur certainly dodged a bullet. Decatur might consider placing that ad today, however. We have a lot of far sighted city planners and an involved citizenry to thank. Special thanks to those responsible for the resurgance of our school system.
I recall a recent discussion with a former neighbor (upon learning that our family was moving into the city proper from unincorporated Dekalb, specifically for the schools) in which she told me her parents moved FROM the city TO the county when she was a child, specifically for the schools! Boy, have times changed!
oh, and I need to know more about this Death House, too…..
Seriously, WHAT is the Death House???
Google is awesome: Death House
Look at the History section- evidently it was a house named for the Death family (I would hate having that as my last name) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sycamore_Street_(Decatur)
Especially if you wanted to practice medicine.
…or sell your house
Between the High House and the Death House…just say no to Sycamore???
The paper was the DeKalb New Era, of which I was once the News Editor (but it was after July 1977).
I moved to Kings Hwy in the spring of 1977. I don’t remember that at all. Seemed like a pretty nice place after living in Little 5, at the time.
At least Dekalb doesn’t have LaChandra Butler Burks to deal with…whew!
If I’m not mistaken, the survey was not of the Decatur Community, but of members of the Decatur Taxpayers Association which wasn’t a very large group but a group that was not happy with the high Decatur taxes, the changing demographics of Decatur at that time, the disruption caused by the then recent Marta construction, and other changes. I don’t think that survey (I have no recollection of how many people were polled, or what the composition of the questions was) was indicative of how most of us in Decatur at that time felt. There certainly were frustrations and problems, but most of us were seeing a bright future ahead for Decatur.
That is indeed true, that it was the Decatur Tax Payers taking the survey and not the community as a whole. Looking back at my original post, I can see that my wording doesn’t really transmit that correctly.
I do remember the Decatur Tax Payer’s League but not from 1977. In the mid or late 80s, when Dr. Don Griffith was superintendent, there was a DTPL community meeting at the #2 DeKalb County courthouse. The purpose of the meeting was to approve a recommendation to the city commission to abolish the school system and merge with DeKalb County. League members would vote on this proposal. I do not remember if there was an organized effort to get teachers and school parents to attend but I do recall that many school supporters joined the League that evening and argued against abolition. The vote was too close to suggest that the league overwhelmingly supported closing the schools. I recall that the League officers said that the new members needed to be certified as Decatur residents before they could vote. This resulted in loud boos from the pro-school crowd. I assume the League later met with the city commissioners but the school system remained independent.
It is hard to believe that Decatur once had such a large Tea Party crowd. It would be interesting to interview these people as well as those who experienced the integration of South Decatur neighborhoods in the late 60s.
I was in Decatur in the late 80’s and I do not remember any such movement or organization.
I remember a group who often attended School Board community input sessions in the late 80’s early 90’s. One member in particular, a woman named Vera Hill ( I think that was her name) often spoke about the need for transparency in CSD financial matters. The group seemed to have serious concerns about Dr Griffth’s handling of budget issues.
Can’t recall hearing anything more of them after Dr Griffith retired.
The DPL was around from the mid seventies, and had spurts of activity from then on into the eighties, depending on what issues were hot at the time, and always concerned with taxes. It never had very strong leadership or a huge following, but it was vocal at times and would write letters to the editors of the local papers in existence during those times – DeKalb New Era and the Decatur DeKalb News. There were, in my opinion, some Decatur folks in the group who simply were very worried about taxes and sincerely thought Decatur would be better off in it didn’t provide services or have independent schools, and then there were the usual anti-everything naysayers who were the most vocal. I don’t ever recall seeing this group as having any great influence or being reflective of the attitude of most folks in Decatur, even during tough times, who valued our independence and local control.