Comments on: MM: DeKalb City News, Druid Hills Home and Garden Tour, and the World’s Oldest Surviving Aerial Photo

By: Keith F

Keith F — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 02:49:25 +0000

I get the feeling that leadership change will only begin with indictments someday.

By: WalterM

WalterM — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 20:45:51 +0000

I think it has less to do with services than say so over how and where current taxes are spent. I also think it has quite a bit to do with the county administration and a desire to have city officials who can counterbalance some of the decisions made by that administration.

By: WalterM

WalterM — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 20:43:01 +0000

Talking to friends and co-workers who live in Tucker, Lakeside, Druid Hills and elsewhere in the northern part of the county, I don’t think this is a case of “Decatur envy” other than Decatur (and Chamblee, Stone Mountain, Lithonia, etc.) has the ability to keep a larger chunk of tax revenue for needs within the city limits and can control decisions for the area a bit better (zoning comes to mind). The people I know who live in these areas do not particularly care for the county administration or the various probes concerning it. Cityhood may or may not increase their taxes, but they feel a smaller municipality means local elected officials with greater accountability to those who are taxed and official advocates for them when dealing with the county. Since I live in Decatur, I can understand this. I pay more attention to Decatur’s elected officials on matters from bike lanes to zoning variances than I do to Dekalb’s because I’m a bit insulated from from Dekalb’s decisions by the city government., at least until I drive up Church Street towards Suburban Plaza.

By: Brianc

Brianc — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 19:07:31 +0000

N. DeKalb is moving in the same direction N.Fulton did years ago. In the case of Fulton, I believe there were some legitimate disparities in service between the North and South ends that spurred the cities of Milton, Johns Creek, and the push for a new Milton County. I’m not so sure if that’s the case in DeKalb. And if the school system debacle is the motivation, I think people are kidding themselves if they think new city-based school systems are going to be created (which would require a constitutional amendment).

Also, none of these proposed new cities have much of a commercial base, so that is going to be an obstacle in providing services without raising taxes on residents. I’m not sure that DeKalb County wouldn’t be better off if they were to give up responsibility for parks and roads maintenance, etc, in some of these proposed cities, though I’m sure someone can tell me why I’m wrong on that one.

By: Bo

Bo — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 18:00:00 +0000

I hope that Dekalb County finds some leadership to halt this death spiral.