Politics & Government

Commissioner Jeff Rader Introduces Resolution Postponing Brookhaven Cityhood

The commissioner said the long-term impact of unincorporated DeKalb should be studied.

District 2 Commissioner Jeff Rader told the County Operations & Public Safety (COPS) Committee Thursday that his proposal to put a moratorium on creating new cities would give the county a chance "to look at the consequences of incorporation and annexation before they occur."

"The hope would be to stall the referendum in Brookhaven for a year and to consider potential for any of these actions," Raider said. "Whatever happens, we would end up as a county being much more sustainable and less subject to disruption."

Rader's resolution calls for four main points:

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  • That a moratorium be placed on annexation and incorporation in DeKalb County until a study committee is formed to create new standards by which to evaluate annexation,
  • Develop a rubric for determining reasonable boundaries for the existing or new cities using theories of urban organization,
  • Analyze the impact of widespread annexation or incorporation on the provision of higher level services (e.g., Emergency 911 service, non-basic police services such as aerial support unit, SWAT team, bomb squad unit, intelligence and permits, K-9 division, gang task force, drug task force, etc.), and
  • Analyze alternatives to annexation and incorporation such as townships and special service districts.Β 

Rader, in his resolution, said a committee should be formed to include members appointed by the Speaker of the Georgia House of Representatives, the Lieutenant Governor of Georgia, and members of the DeKalb Delegation to the Georgia General Assembly.

Rep. Mike Jacobs, the state representative who introduced the Brookhaven incorporation legislation, said that he doubts the resolution would get any traction or would be received well by members of the House.

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"This resolution is a sure sign that the county is afraid of what will happen if the people get to vote on a city,Β  I am sure that a majority of my colleagues will see it that way, too."

The Board of Commissioners is scheduled to discuss the resolution at its meeting on Oct. 25.


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