I like a good game of “Telephone” as much as the next guy.  So let’s play, shalt we?

According to Patch, the AJC reported in their Sunday fish-wrap (but not yet on their website) that residents of Sagamore Hills and North Briarcliff communities in northern DeKalb County are now also considering cityhood, after Brookhaven became the latest new city in DeKalb after a July vote.  Non-Brookhavians may recall that particular vote as the “Hell No T-SPLOST!” vote.

According to Patch’s Jonathan Cribbs article, a community leader in the area made mention of potential Sagamore Hills city limits as “a combination of areas south of I-85, bookended by Northlake Mall on the east and the proposed commercial development near North Druid Hills Road on the west…”.  Cribbs also makes mention of an AJC map included with the article, which tags Druid Hills as another area interested in becoming an independent city.

Seems like the city trend in northern DeKalb might be beginning to snowball.

(NOTE: Cribbs’ article also states the AJC piece features some mention of Decatur’s recent annexation musings.  If/when I get that full article in front of me – or more likely when one of you all fills me in – we can discuss that too.)

I guess we would be naive to think the county would take all these annexation attempts lying down.

As Cranky (“Vote Cranky!”) recently pointed out in a comment, the DeKalb County Commission recently voted on a resolution that expresses “support for restraints on annexations that are done not to provide new services to an under-serviced area, but simply to increase a municipal tax base and legislation to allow property owners to de-annex themselves from municipalities.”    The full three page resolution can be read here (pdf).

Assuming that the commission voted in favor of the resolution (still seeking confirmation of this), it will head to the DeKalb County Delegation to the Georgia General Assembly.

Obviously, this request is being made in reaction to all the recent annexation attempts being made by DeKalb cities.  Our mayor hasn’t been shy in saying that the main reason to consider annexation is increasing the commercial tax base.

But all this resolution seems to urge is adding a layer of red tape into the annexation process.  Instead of allowing the directly-affected constituents of a community to decide whether they want to accept the annexation of a city, the county seems to be urging that someone else should make the decision about whether an annexation attempt is valid.

But who will make this decision?  A judge?  How does a city prove that its not out to increase your tax base?  How bad do DeKalb County services have to be to be judged as “under-servicing” their constituents?

Welcome to the next chapter in the city/county battle for our property taxes!