Welcome, Brookhaven

Let's hope so!

How are you voting today on the issue of Brookhaven cityhood?

I am not going to have a HamBurger ever again, does that indicate my position?

Patch did a really good job on handling this issue, I hope you got jillions of page hits, y'all earned a sincere 'atta-person.'

Voted Yes for Brookhaven City!

An opponent of the City was teariing down BrookhaveYES signs on Peachtree near the Brookhaven Christian Church polling station--they were put back up--he came back and tore them down again.

Funny thing was that a police officer saw him doing it. He was being talked to.

Desperation knows no bounds.

I voted yes. And 57 percent of my fellow residents will as well - meaning tomorrow we wake up in the City of Brookhaven.

Sad, the reports of Brookhaven opponents removing YES signs on Peachtree.
Of course BrookhavenYES would not condone any underhanded behavior. I am sure Brookhaven opponents would agree.
DeKalbNoCity is paying someone to wave their signs at Montgomery. Not saying paying a sign waver is in any way underhanded; it just seems odd they would do that. Not enough volunteers?
BrookhavenYES formed a super group of enthusiastic volunteers via nearly 30 neighborhood meetings and family events.

Interesting heading for this article: ‘Brookhaven Cityhood Comes To A Head On Tuesday’
DeKalbNoCity is under tremendous pressure. The best way to relieve some of the superheated nocityness pressure is voting YES to let the nocityness pressure be relieved.
Instant relief and community healing will begin tonight. YES!

I voted YES through early voting this past Thurs, July 26th as a b-day present for my wife!

ALERT.......... ALERT........ ALERT.....

Hamburger sighting this morning. Dude wearing an apron stained with tears handing out flyers and holding up signs of repentance near polling places. The elderly are handing out tissues to him. Please take tissues when you vote YES so that Hamburgular will have an adequate supply.

I think polls are going to end up being understated. The YES vote might go to 60%.

I ALSO VOTED FOR BROOKHAVEN YES!!--TOM REILLY

Count me as a YES!

Wife and I dropped a few yesses. Good to see some volunteer folks holding up Yes signs. Apprecite the effort from a guy like me that couldn't break free to help.

The people that were paid to post NoCity propaganda are now back in the unemployment line. All but Eddie E. that is, who is still standing outside Kittredge waving his NoCity sign ( an hour after the polls closed).

I early voted NO...so did my wife, daughters and son- in-laws. Toes and fingers crossed for a NoCity victory.

Good start...now expand and hold that lead the rest of the evening!

Are these first numbers just the early voter numbers?

Early voting numbers have not been counted yet. These numbers are from 4 of 12 precincts now coming in.

After all the fuss with the BOC and now S. Dekalb morans have voted the same crooks back into power, Brookhaven better hope city hood is a go. Not only will they continue having their tax dollars sucked from their wallet, DKPD is going to get you as well.

Strategic Dekalb reporting, they have to by law post the numbers on the doors add the 12 precincts and yes wins. Early voting, hmmm, only a Dekalb election offices knows that....

It is almost always very late -- 11 PM or later before the absentee and early voting are reported. Just the way it has always been.

As of 10:12, new results:

YES: 55.61% 3,532

Over 700 vote lead for Brookhaven.

I hope Brookhaven VS Atlanta becomes a reality! From Lenox Park.

I can't believe the majority of Brookhaven residents are idiots!

This is the best news of the year!

Sorry LM, maybe you need a Hamburger to drown your sorrows....

JW Blue and a nice Dominican to cap this evening off. Would you like to join me Burger? You there Burger? burger... How about you Eddie E? If not tonight, I'm sure we can catch-up when I drop off my car next week... Oh, I forgot. I don't know that I trust you to work on my car anymore. I'm sorry... I'm sure you understand.

http://www.reporternewspapers.net/2012/07/31/breaking-brookhaven-voters-vote-to-create-new-city/

WINNING! WON!

Just curious, Patch. Where are you getting your results? You are ahead of the Secretary of State's website.

Excellent coverage & updates tonight. Thank you for being the only source I could find to get the results tonight. Congrats to the new city & the potential for a better future for Brookhaven. As an absentee voter who voted yes, I hope our votes will help secure this victory.

Poor Elena: Tsplost down in flames! Brookhaven Rises!

Awesome. Good night & good luck!

Thanks for all of the hard work - here is to a bright future!!!
I look forward to being part of the City Of Brookhaven!

Great news indeed - congratulations on a bright future to our area. Best side of town in all of Atlanta.

Thanks to many - some of you on here - that contributed time and efforts. Look forward to calling myself a Brookhavenite, or whatever we'll be.

Congratulations to ALL the voters. We all had a say in whether or not we would have a City. And no one really has lost.

I sincerely believe that most Brookhaven residents will be pleasantly surprised by the changes that are now possible.

Congratulations to everyone

I'm extremely hopeful that the early votes will follow the same course of victory that has occurred at the polling precincts. The future of our new city holds the promise of meeting the needs of our diverse citizenry.

As a team forms so does a city. The team cycle process of FORMING, STORMING, NORMING, PERFORMING will definitely play out as we work collectively through the issues & challenges we'll confront in the development of our city. And, we'll do this together with representation from ALL parts of the city.

Certainly there will be disagreement AND agreement. It's an expected part of the process. The process is not perfect as nothing ever is. However, we'll engage & execute decisions about our future on a smaller more manageable level with direct benefits to our community.

Welcome to the city of Brookhaven. Time to grow, shine, & celebrate our diverse city.

Brookhaven, a city among cities comprising DeKalb county.

The victory of cityhood has been a suspenseful journey. I'm relieved one significant phase of the journey is complete. So, onward & upward for the best to come!

A night of peaceful sleep to all!

Brookhaven, GA LinkedIn Group
http://www.linkedin.com/groups/City-Brookhaven-4554494?gid=4554494

Good moring Brookhaven!

Anyone want a cheerwine and a special hamburger?

Are you cheering higher taxes HamBurger?? I'm not...and we all know that is exactly what is going to happen.

From the D'wood..congrats to the B'haven!

Congratulations Brookhaven - Now, look at everything Dunwoody has done and do the opposite if you want to be successful, prosperous, and not the laughing stock of Atlanta.

If you achieve this, and you will, I am interested in contacting a real estate agent in your city!

Now the running list of excuses and rationales begin as to why it will cost more to operate Brookhaven. I'll give the devil his/her due...you've pulled off a well executed "bait and switch" campaign, using the the timeless tactic of fear to rally support for city hood. Lemonade anyone?

Welcome to Brookhaven. Some bruises are deeper than others, but they are just bruises, they will heal in time.

Scott, what's this about "pissing and moaning?" Why have you concluded I have not accepted the outcome or will not be supportive of the new city? I have. I will participate and be involved as a good citizen. I do want our new city to get off the ground and be successful, AND I believe OUR future will be one of excuses as to why it will cost more to run our city. This is an and /both life. If you're asking me to roll over and just go along with the crowd, not challenge and expect the future elected officials to now deliver on their promises.... hell no. Not going to do that. And guess what? Having citizens who are going to hold elected officials accountable by creating healthy tension, is an aspect of "coming together." Damn, "coming together" doesn't mean we quit thinking. Get real.

Get out your checkbooks, everyone. Your cost of living is about to skyrocket.

Scott, you must want to be the newly created Brookhaven Communication Director. You show a lot of potential. You'll convince folks standing three feet in manure the smell hitting their noses is no big deal and stop whining. Yeah, you have a bright future in our soon to be city government.

I really believe there will be some here that almost...almost...hope that Brookhaven will have more problems setting up just so they can say "I told you so."

The amusing thing is that some are almost making it sound that working with Dekalb County was effortless-and anything less than their mistaken memory of "effortless" will be a disappointment.

We will have more input into everything than we have ever had. And more transparency than we could have ever thought possible with Dekalb.

And we may find that as the economy improves or, at least, the new Brookhaven sees more completed developments, we may find that the often cited $25 Million assumption for revenues was too low by $2 Million.

Scott, if you are going to play the role of judging opinions based on your narrow comfort zone, be fair and call people out on both sides of the issue. P&M, issueless debates, and name calling cut both ways my friend. If you want to play umpire, be objective. If not, diguise your hyprocacy.....you don't wear it well.

Scott, allow us this opportunity to agree both sides have been overzealous. I also believe good points have been made by both sides. So with the city hood vote final, it is time to move forward. The biggest hill to climb for the future elected officials is one of rebuilding trust. The process in which many of us have viewed how city hood came into being and justified, did not help the trust and transparency quotient. So now, if we are going to try and come together as a city, the promised benefits need to happen and elected officials must build trust through transparent leadership. It's normal and expected that many of us are starting down this road highly suspicious. Pull us in through behavior and not words. Hold leaders accountable to the same standards they were holding DeKalb County government. Finally, as far as allegations that No's want our new city to fail, doesn't make sense. I believe there are more reasonable people among us than not. I also believe we are better than the extreme partisan politics on display in Congress. Just imagine....congressional leaders abdicating leadership and legislative obligations only to bring down the President. And they publicly admit that was and is their legislative strategy. I know Brookhaven is better than that. Agree?

EPU,
I agree that the whole process was tough to swallow no matter which side you found yourself on. While it certainly had its flaws, I believe the result will be a great city. I am sure there will be plenty of headaches along the way but, like you, I believe we have a great community willing to do what it takes.
As far as Washington goes, I am disappointed that the pursuit of politics has destroyed leadership. Sad when decisions are made by how bad it will hurt the other party and not how much it will help the country.
Well, I plan on staying involved so if we happen to meet at any community/city meetings, feel free to say hello. Of course your secret will be safe with me if you happen reveal your identity.
See ya around the “city”

Scott, good deal. I do want the new city to be successful. My goodness, why wouldn't I want to benefit from a more vibrant, safe, and inclusive community. Once we do meet at upcoming meetings, we can exchange perspectives on what a successful outcome for our city will be 5 years down the road and beyond. I'll spring for the first refreshment of choice. I do hope our elected officals learn from any mistakes of other start up cities. My frustrations with the run up to July 31 has been this. First, the vilification (racial and ethnic) of governmental and elected officals, and other county residents as important (not total) justifications for city hood. The undertone was African Americans aren't capable of running successful operations and an entire community is on the take at the expense of North Atlanta. The demographics of our world has flipped. I believe we need to figure out how to confront difficult community issues without tearing down the "other" group...especially true for immigration reform. The second was the unwillingness to update the CVI study. I felt this was reasonable. Even if it meant slowing down ratification, doing so would have gone a long way to build trust and get more folks on board. Since it wasn't done, I was on high alert up that something else was up. The Yes organizers didn't get my benefit of the doubt because unfortunately it seems to be an accepted political tactic to say anything to get elected and do something else once in office.We'll see.

Why are unincorporated areas jumping to cityhood when there is a GA Township Act. Township seems like the logical first step.

I hope for the best of Brookhaven, however if I were a citizen there, I'd be very worried about insolvency or other problems.

You should not be worried about anything. Brookhaven will be solvent. And it will control its budget. If I were you I'd worry about where you live remaining solvent. And townships are not a reality and make very little sense when you can have a whole properly functioning city. Look at all the other cities recently formed plus about 500 already in Georgia. They work. So your concerns about solvency are ill founded.