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Welcoming Dunwoody to the Governing Field |
| Aug 13, 2008 |
Like a packet of seeds sprinkled on some very fertile soil, the City of Dunwoody is sprouting nicely since the July referendum supporting its inception.
Now that qualifying has closed for candidates to govern the new city, we know that Ken Wright, who led the effort for cityhood, will be mayor. He is to be congratulated for taking on the enormous task of being the first mayor of Dunwoody.
Council seats, which drew several candidates, will be decided in pending elections.
As the DeKalb commissioner who represents North DeKalb and Dunwoody, I look forward to working with these new public officials including Mayor Wright. We will work closely together to preserve the quality of life that makes Dunwoody a great place for people to settle in metro Atlanta.
There is something that residents should remember in this New World Order that makes Dunwoody. The new city will not be an island unto itself although it will now determine its own land use, public safety and other issues. DeKalb County will still provide other services such as fire, judicial and library services. County taxes will also help pay for participation in regional systems such as MARTA and Grady Memorial Hospital.
Unfortunately, DeKalb government has gotten large and bloated over the years â a product of the size of the county (about 750,000) and a growing bureaucracy. The challenge to the city of Dunwoody will be to provide basic services at minimal cost. With a small government, it may be able to utilize the private sector to make that happen. It could provide an example to the county and other surrounding jurisdictions.
Meanwhile, to facilitate a better working relationship between the county and the new city, I will also urge the DeKalb Commission not to go forth with a potential lawsuit against the new city. It would be a waste of taxpayer funds in both Dunwoody and DeKalb. Instead we need to accept that this new city now exists. Fighting is just more of the same.
Voters sent a message with the overwhelming defeat of Vernon Jones in his own county in the U.S. Senate race, the election of Commissioner Burrell Ellis as the next DeKalb CEO and the creation of the city of Dunwoody. They are saying its time to do things differently in DeKalb and I stand with them on making that happen.
Once again, I congratulate Dunwoody residents, their new mayor, Ken Wright, and pending city council and look forward to working with the elected representatives of its 37,000 citizens very soon. |
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