As popular as a new Harry Potter installment, city of Decatur residents have been gearing up for weeks to get their hands on a copy of Decatur’s latest and greatest 2009-2010 budget (pdf).

Residents from around the city lined up at midnight Tuesday in front of city hall to be the first to get their hands on a copy.  Many were dressed as their favorite city employee, with many men donning wigs.  “I had planned to sport a pair of “Hugh Saxon glasses” said a man in a purple cardigan who refused to give his name, “but when I heard that my neighbor was doing something similar, I went the Linda Harris route.”

When the real Linda Harris appeared on the city hall steps a couple minutes after midnight, carrying around 20 copies of the 200+ page document, cheers from the anxious throng echoed throughout the town like recorded birds-of-prey atop 1 West Courthouse Square.

After getting over the intial shock of seeing so many grown men in wigs, Harris regained her composure and spoke to the crowd.  “With much anticipation, I present to you the 2009-10 budget!  If you pre-ordered a copy online, please stand in a line to the right.  After you receive your copy, please proceed in an orderly fashion to the commission meeting room where Andrea Arnold will be giving out autographs  For those who didn’t pre-order, I’m sorry to say that we’re completely sold out.”

And with that residents got into their respective lines and upon receiving their copy thumbed immediately to page one.  Some proceeded inside, while others made a beeline to their cars.  “I’m going to be up all night reading this!” shouted a man in a light brown wig as he jumped into his Toyota Prius and sped off down North McDonough.

Just another day in the life.