Parent Voting 'No' On Cityhood; Endorses T-SPLOST

Outgoing state Rep. Elena Parent is voting 'no' on the issue of Brookhaven incorporation.

In an e-mail to her constituents this past weekend, Parent said "the financial success of the new city is highly questionable. There are no tax savings, and in fact there will be a tax increase, if the city is created."

Parent also endorsed the .

"Our region has underinvested in transportation infrastructure for decades, and it is an impediment to creating jobs and a threat to our quality of life," she said.

Parent was drawn into the same House District as as a result of census-driven, legislative redistricting. , and instead has been named executive director of Georgia Watch.

"There is a tight millage cap, tying the hands of any future Brookhaven city leaders from making decisions and undermining the financial viability of the proposed city," Parent said in her email. "The number of police officers budgeted for is inadequate and more can't be added because the financial projections show no operating surplus."

Regarding , Parent said, "A 'yes' vote will provide billions of dollars in investment to improve our failing system, including historic investments in mass transit for our neighborhoods.

"The project list was passed unanimously by a regional roundtable and it is supported by leaders of every political stripe and from every corner of our region," she said. "If the vote fails, it will be even more difficult in the future to achieve the kind of cooperation that is essential if Atlanta is going to thrive, or even function."

In the email, Parent also endorsed these candidates:

• Judge Dax Lopez for State Court Judge
• Marshall Orson for DeKalb County School Board District 2
• for re-election as DeKalb County Commissioner Super District 6
• Oretha Brown-Johnson for DeKalb Clerk of Superior Court