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Dunwoody city bills delayed, status in House uncertain |
| Mar 7, 2006 |
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By Cathy Cobbs For The Crier Prior to a full Senate vote Monday, state Sen. Dan Weber (R-Dunwoody) temporarily delayed three bills that would have created a new city of Dunwoody and expanded the cities of Chamblee and Doraville. Another bill, which defines the manner in which county property is valued for transfer to new cities, passed the Senate 34-5. "We put the three bills involving the cities at the end of the agenda, with the intention of not hearing them today," Weber said Monday morning. "We need more time for discussions with the charter committee, which is meeting tonight. I just want to make sure that we are clear on our strategy for these bills." Asked if the bills were pulled because of a lack of support for them in either or both houses, Weber said he was "sure that we have the support of the Senate, but I've always been less sure about the House." House leaders have long said their first priorities for this session were the incorportation bills for the new cities of Milton and John's Creek in north Fulton County. While those proposed cities were presented to the legislature last year, Dunwoody, two proposed cities in south Fulton and two others elsewhere in the state were brought to the General Assembly only this year. Weber said he hoped that another bill, introduced by state Rep. Wendall Willard (R-Sandy Springs) which restores the Homestead Option Sales Tax credit to cities, would be heard Tuesday by a House Ways and Means subcommittee, after The Crier's press deadline, and by the full committee later that afternoon. That bill has met with opposition from DeKalb County and Rockdale County officials. The two counties are the only ones in Georgia to employ a one-cent sales tax to lower property taxes through the homestead exemption. The distribution of HOST funds in each county was approved by voters in referenda. The counties believe changing the distribution to include cities would require another vote. Weber said he hoped that the city bills would be considered later this week in the House committee. Meanwhile, the DeKalb County Commission officially voiced its objections to the three city bills, voting 5-1 to oppose Dunwoody's city charter and the annexation plans by Doraville and Chamblee. The resolution stated that "the legislation incorporating the City of Dunwoody may create a substantial disruption to the cost effective and efficient provisions of government services to the citizens of this county, including residents of Dunwoody." The resolution further asks the Georgia General Assembly "to table this legislation until such time as all affected citizens and governments have had adequate time to assess the unintended consequences of such actions." District 1 Commissioner Elaine Boyer was the lone dissenting vote. "The bills in questions were not attached to the legislation, so I didn't want to vote for the resolution without fully studying the issue," she said. Meanwhile, the results of the Carl Vinson Institute feasibility study, which were due last Friday, will be made public at a meeting Saturday at Georgia Perimeter College from 2 - 5 p.m, according to Mary Jo Chambless, who is the spokesperson for Citizens for Dunwoody. The results of the second part of the CVI study are due in June. Another meeting to discuss the merits of incorporation and its impact on the remaining residents of DeKalb County will be hosted March 13 by The League of Women Voters. Entitled "City of Dunwoody: What Are the Implications for DeKalb Residents?" the forum was developed as a follow-up to neighborhood meetings at which DeKalb residents have been learning about the cityhood legislation and raising questions about the impact of a City of Dunwoody on the taxes and services to those remaining in unincorporated DeKalb. South of the proposed city limits of Dunwoody and inside I-285, opposition is building to the idea of Dunwoody taking Perimeter Center and its tax base into a city. Civic leaders point out that Perimeter Center and Perimeter Mall are regional institutions supported by all of DeKalb County and other counties. In addition, the proposed annexation by Chamblee includes DeKalb's sprawling Blackburn Park on Ashford Dunwoody Road. The moderated panel includes Harry Hayes, Carl Vinson Institute of Government, UGA; Dr. Michael Bell, DeKalb County finance director; Eric Clarkson, mayor of Chamblee anad Leonardo McClarty, president of the DeKalb Chamber of Commerce. Members of the DeKalb legislative delegation have been invited to attend. The forum will be held at 7 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Atlanta, 1911 Cliff Valley Way NE, off Briarcliff Road. |
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