Mr. Dean, well, in Brookhaven there appears to be a conflict in revenue and that may affect the quantity of services. To get to where you expected to be when Rep. Mike Jacobs and J. Max sold you on his new city you very well may be looking at higher taxes. If we go “city lite” we have implemented very little and taken on greater governmental overhead.

But if this comes to pass I guess it was worth the extra cost to thumb your nose at DeKalb County?

The next couple of months will be real interesting . . .

Please pass the yellow mustard!

Dean,

Even though I often don't agree with you, I do understand the various points and perspectives you bring to the discussion. I don't recall ever responding to you directly in the past but I feel compelled to do that given your comments 5:22pm Thursday.

"...screws over those poor schmucks left in Unincorporated."

Again, I understand what you are intending to say, but the manner in which you said it is very offensive to me. I took your comments personally because I have many family and close friends who live in Unincorporated DeKalb County. The phrase screwing over poor schmucks is personal because these folks are not poor schmucks. They are caring and responsible people who care deeply for their communities and families...just like you and me. Additionally, to label an entire, broad community strikes me as cold, arrogant, insensitive, and maybe bigoted. I trust those folks who have been impersonally labeled also care for their communities and families...just like you and me.

Dean, with that said, I am going to give you the benefit of the doubt and conclude that is not what you intended. If you did intend to blatantly and negatively label this way...I'll be shock. Unless I have missed something, I just don't perceive you that way.

I hope you accept my reactions and thoughts in the spirit they are given. thank you.

Dean, you have changed your tone.
Our founding fathers promised us lower taxes as in current. Not inevitably lower taxes at some undetermined future date.
Did you look people in the eye and tell them they would expect lower taxes our city? BrookhavenYes sure promoted lower taxes with our city.

Unum-no offense meant, just meant I feel for those unfortunately souls still in unincorporated Dekalb, the democrat bureacracy is sure to dig ever deeper into their pocket. All of us in Brookhaven were smart to vote ourselves a city to protect us from the worst of it.

I was unaware that voting yes to the city would increase my taxes 17%. I heard this at the last forum. Pretty peeved I must say. What would you consider a reasonable amount of time we should give the new Administration to give us the better parks we voted in favor of? 1 year? 2 years? 5? If it is indeed going to cost me more to be in the city, then please deliver my improved services now. Police first but I want my parks right on the heels of the police. I wish J Max and Mike would have been more open and honest about the increased taxes.

Annabell your taxes are not going up 17%. Whoever said that was using a strained concurrence of events and calculations. Until the budget is set and the intergovernmental agreements are signed we don't know what the millage rate will be set at. Though even if it turned out to be 17% you are talking about under $50 annually.

But J Max and Mike said our taxes were going to be lower.

Yes but than DeKalb late in the game switched the amount the charge for Police, Fire and some other services late in the game so that the credit or savings we get from taking over Police Services is not as great.

When they said the taxes would be lower than DeKalb's they may very well have been correct. Now its less clear because of that switch. Though it may well be lower than your 2011 taxes, but perhaps not lower than your 2012 rate that came out in September. It also will clearly be lower for property owners who are not able to claim the HOST Credit.

Mr. Eric, sounds like this oversight by Rep. Mike Jacobs is an easy legislative fix . . . If he is not too busy coaching J. Max!

Special hamburger?

Annabell, your taxes will go up. That approzimately 17% is just for the two line intems in your property taxes, not your entire property taxes.
A question for Eric, in the run up to cityhood, our founding fathers promised us lower taxes. If your arguement is that the millage rate is not set seems procityhood self serving. How could BrookhavenYes promise lower taxes without the millage rate being set? The reality is at 335, there will be higher taxes.
What about the franchise fees? Do those not count as taxes?

Good luck with that.

Mr. Road, you are going to find that relating to elections, Brookhaven will not be very different from the rest of the cities, counties and states in America. The psychology of the voter will determine our fate. Plus, we voters seem to have short memories, many of us vote party lines, and disturbingly, we have horrifically low voter turnout and a successful candidate can win by a handful of votes. And, if this city continues to be divided the better qualified candidates will pass on considering a run for office.

So, although I would like to think elected officials that are not performing would be voted out of office, I am not holding my breath. Just look around . . .

Did you say you wanted extra yellow mustard on that special hamburger?

Though remember Mr. HamBurger, Dunwoody did vote out a sitting incumbent, something that's never happened in DeKalb.

So I agree with the hurdles of voting in the most qualified candidate, however I do believe those hurdles are easier to overcome when with small districts where a candidate can knock on the door of every active voter.

RS,
Did you mean 'if they do not do District 1's business'?

You are not fooling anyone "Annabell". You did not vote for the city as you are a partisan hack and a No city leftover. Brookhaven Yes leaders clearly stated that your property taxes would stay the same or decrease with the city. These statements were absolutely true at the time and will still be true if Dekalb's illegal manipulation of the millage rates is reversed. You know your claims are dishonest as you know about DeKalb's after the fact millage manipulations. It doesn't matter to you as political points are your m.o. , not honesty. Even if Dekalb's illegality on this matter stands for a time it still would be DeKalb county who is raising your taxes not the city of Brookhaven or city proponents.

So you admit taxes will be higher? Whatever the cause, taxes will be higher, fact?
Why so angry? Isn't this what you wanted? What a shill.

Ps. Annabell is my real name. What's yours? And yes I did vote for the city. I am certain you make your mother proud with your antics. Be true to yourself and stop hiding behind a pseudonym.

'truth squad'

I sir or madame did not vote for the city because I knew that everything from the cvi to the sales pitch to the bill was a steaming pile.

I feel no responsibility whatsoever to 'roll up my sleeves' for this miscarriage of governance!

"Annabell" you did not vote for the city, you voted no on July 31st. You just prove my point with your political -point double speak. You don't seem to know or recognize honesty or truth. If I commit to buy you a dinner at Haven this Friday night and it burns down Friday morning have I lied to you when we don't get to eat at Haven?
Your "logic" sounds like a 6 year old on the playground.

You don't need to buy me dinner. How bout I come over to your house, you can invite Mike Jacobs and J Max Davis, and we can have a great time after they explain to me why they lied to me and my ommunity.

I did vote for the city. I did vote to have lower taxes and I did fail miserably to validate the promises that were made, when my husband was sick. I trusted these guys and vted to have lower taxes. I cannot ford ANY increase.
I did vote yes. Don't be so angry fella.

"Annabell" you did not vote for the city. Please keep repeating your mantras about taxes and maybe someday they will ..... well , no, they still won't ever be true. You aren't some objective bystander just trying to get the facts- like Deborah Anthony also pretended to be this past summer- you are just someone whose team is 0-3 in local elections trying to build another false narrative. Don't you see Brookhaven voters are smarter than to fall for your "logic". They have repeatedly rejected the no city paranoia and cynical politics.

Anabell and whoever you are,

This exchange exemplifies the fault in the phony CVI.
The 'study' was not an exercise in careful examination and evaluation in all the constant and variable parameters of expense and revenue (all readily available), instead it was an 'if-then' evaluation missing the all important logic step of 'else'.

The CVI study was nothing more than a giant 'what if' with no expansion beyond the specific and very narrowly drawn questions. It was as if the question was 'is a new municipality viable if we count on 'x' amount of revenue and 'imaginary x' expenses with absolutely no consideration of contingency.

For the paid an unpaid apologists to continue to lay the folly of the 'study', bill charter and eventual eye popping budget at the feet of the county is monumentally childish and irresponsible.

B(ull)-YES, you invented this, you sold the cat in the bag (the proverbial pig in a poke) and you are a couple of days away from having no option but to reveal the disaster to the public.

Be adults and accept FULL responsibility for YOUR actions!

Please refer to this.
http://repjacobs.com/2012/01/29/brookhaven-cut-to-dekalbs-higher-property-taxes/

And this:
http://www.crossroadsnews.com/view/full_story/19913615/article-Mayors--county-squabbling-over-millage-rate-hikes?instance=home_more_headlines

I wish I were to have done more research before I voted yes. I had a sick husband at the time and just thought I was being told the truth. It will in fact be cost more to live in the city. Any city in Dekalb County.

J. Max Davis
Friday, May 11, 2012
Lower taxes, better services- Brookhaven Yes. Taxes don't increase in cities with millage caps.

J. Max Davis
Saturday, May 12, 2012
Lower Taxes , Better Services- Brookhaven Yes. I suspect the still anonymous posters on this blog fall into the closed minded group.

Mike Jacobs
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
I am very confident that a tax rate of 3.40 mills and a $20,000 homestead exemption generates a property tax cut for homeowners in the proposed city.

I apologize for not doing better research as I feel like many just took their word for it and essentially wasted my vote.

See my answer above, at the time those statements were made its easy they had a reasonable basis for it. Though true even back then those statements were heavily disputed in the media, on the Patch and via many mailouts by No City Brookhaven.

In or around early September DeKalb announced a higher HOST credit and also announced they were lowering the millage charged for Police while raising it for Fire and other services. Because of that it maybe that your taxes may be a little higher in 2013 than what they would be if in an unincorporated area in 2013, though they will still be lower than your 2011 rates the last published rates in when all those statements were made.

Mr. Eric, face it. Rep. Mike Jacobs said anything he could to garner support for the new city. J. Max Davis said anything he could to promote his candidacy for mayor. A lot of folks bought in to what they had to say.

If it comes to pass that the budget for Brookhaven is as flawed as the Vinson study, what will you say?

Special hamburger?

I'm sorry to have stirred the pot but I really really wanted to save a little money in a time where everything is getting more expensive and salaries are not proportionately keeping pace.
Eric, I see your point but it will not change the fact that J Max and Mike were alot less than honest with me...and the people of Brookhaven. We really should have taken our time with this. But I suppose now it's all water under the bridge? Not for me. I am a 50 something that cannot afford to pay more. Certainly there are others like me that bought in to the hype that will also speak up when they realize their residual income will be decreased by this city. A really good friend of mine called me after seeing me post on this forum and proceeded to tell me that Elaine Boyer was present and celebrating at J Max's party on December 4th. That's pretty ironic that the Commissioner that has been largely responsible for the degradation of services in our area would show up for this but not be present to do her job as Commissioner. Again, my reason for voting for the city was to lower my taxes and have improved services - a win/win - especially if we could get at least partially out from under Elaines rule. Now I find that it will cost me more and she appears to be even more interested. I'm really confused. I have a seriously bad case of buyers remorse.

Chris, driving through my neighborhood, I saw many procity signs with "Lower Taxes" being touted like the jmax proven leader.
That is fabrication of the truth to say we were not promised lower taxes.

Chris,
From the VERY FIRST PUBLIC MEETING, mike jacobs PROMISED LOWER TAXES.

Of course, knowing mike jacobs, I knew it was not a 'factual statement'.

Mr. EPU, I think most people that were not for the new city wanted to have the process slow down to make sure all the bases were covered practically and financially. However, it was more expedient cause wise for Rep. Mike Jacobs, Brookhaven Yes, J. Max Davis, and all of the other pro-city candidates to paint these folks as “Democrats” and “No City” as opposed to truly serve area citizens and insure the practicality of a new city.

Now? Well, there are promises to live up to.

Please pass those thin sliced onions!

EPU, I only expect what we have seen with the other new cities. That being stable tax rates (not one has raised their millage) and better service than citizens received before incorporation. "Pristine" parks is nice, but not something worth raising our millage rate for. Government's responsibility is to protect the citizens. Anything else is yellow mustard on HamBurger's soy patty.

Chris,
BUT THAT IS NOT WHAT WAS PROMISED BY THE YESKLAN!!!

I want all the promises met, in short order, with my promised fat tax cut.....

Or maybe it will be time for District 2 to consider secession, as we were clearly lied to!

The citizens of Dunwoody voted to have their city start with a 2.04 millage rate. The vote happened and they voted in favor of the city. Once they got their first budget the number of 2.04 was too small and was thrown out the window and the council approved a 2.74 millage rate. Bait and switch. Plain and simple. Also, service promises were cut and police have already been proven to be inadequate.
http://dunwoodynorth.blogspot.com/2008/10/webers-outline-of-why-to-use-hybrid.html
Will we face the same? Likely. Prediction, Dunwoody has fortunately not hit their cap of 3.04 mills thanks to Perimeter Mall and a strong PCID. But in Brookhaven with much less revenue, we will have to start at our cap of 3.35 and still be deficient. Mark my words. When the budget is released our revenues will be nowhere near the 25.1 million dollar estimate Mike Jacobs insisted the CVI use. Email evidence has attempted to be posted but refused by moderator in addition to a letter from Christopher Pike of Dunwoody stating that it is a bad idea to cap the millage rate as it handcuffs future borrowing opportunities for the city of Brookhaven. Whatever folks. Y'all wanted this. You got it, Toyota. Have fun. I'm going to Europe with M.

Eddie,
As stated many times in the past, I am a scientist and a genius. Notice my enormous cranium.

The 3.35 millage rate increases your taxes. And you sir should not be so closed minded. Some of us have very close friends who actually know that there has been a budget since Nov 7. The number will come out next week. You will be surprised sir. Then you will surely need your A for your Residence.

Residue,
Do you think that diversion and obfuscation will still be a defense?
The BUDGET drops next week, then the term Brokehaven will no longer be a joke!

Good points about FOG, keeping Fats Oil and Grease out of the drain. I keep a container next to the sink to pour grease into. And looking at the cutaways of how it clogs up sewer pipes makes me want to further reduce my fat intake - imagine what it does to your arteries.

As to local government Youtube's, musically I like this largely volunteer effort by MARTA - the Marta Safety Slide! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9cFVdWQiaw

CVI hit a home run. The budget balances and is right in line with projections.

Perfect. Then there should be no problem with a city hall actually IN Brookhaven.

x,
Where is this 'budget' published?