Dunwoody To Become Georgia's Newest City

BY DAVID MARKIEWICZ www.ajc.com

Dunwoody appears poised to become DeKalb County's first new city in 71 years.
With more than 80 percent of the precincts reporting, the community's referendum on incorporation was winning easily with more than 80 percent of the vote.

Cityhood supporters celebrated the culmination of a three-year effort and looked ahead to municipal elections in September and the start of government operations on Dec. 1.
"It was definitely a mandate, which is fantastic going forward," said Ken Wright, president of Citizens for Dunwoody Inc., the group that promoted the referendum. "This will not be a cakewalk. It's going to require the participation of the people in this community."
One Dunwoody resident, Linda Lorick, said she voted for the referendum even though she believes taxes will increase. "But if it's spent here, where we can see it," she said, "it's a good thing."

The most public opponent of the referendum, state Rep. Jill Chambers (R-Atlanta), said she hoped to help leaders of the new city "build bridges" and added, "We can't win every battle. We educated people."

Opponents have said the proposed Dunwoody budget overstates revenues and underestimates expenses and that services would have to be less than proposed or taxes will have to be increased.

Supporters dismissed those charges during a debate that became contentious as the election drew closer. They said that as citizens of a city, Dunwoody residents would have closer and better government that would address their specific needs.

Dunwoody is the latest metro Atlanta community to consider incorporation, following the recent lead of Fulton County's Sandy Springs, Milton, Johns Creek and Chattahoochee Hill Country, all of which opted in favor of cityhood.

Dunwoody would be the first city formed in DeKalb, however, since Pine Lake in 1937.
In the absence of official polling, there was only speculation in advance of Tuesday's vote. But many on both sides of the Dunwoody debate - those in favor of the referendum, and those opposed to it - said from the start that they believed the issue was likely to win approval.
Efforts already are under way to prepare Dunwoody for cityhood. A group of task forces was set up to research and recommend how the new municipal government should operate in key areas including police, parks and recreation, zoning and planning, codes and ordinances. The groups' reports are expected in August when prospective candidates for council and mayor can study them and familiarize themselves with their options.

Elections are the next big event on the schedule, taking place on Sept. 16. The city would start operating less than three months later.

It's a fast track, but the road to a referendum vote has been more marathon than sprint.
Dunwoody's drive to incorporate officially began in February of 2006 when Sen. Dan Weber (R-Dunwoody) introduced a bill in the Georgia legislature. He withdrew the bill a month later, reportedly because of concerns over the proposed city's budget and the potential for a tax increase.
The idea continued to percolate, however, and the bill passed the senate in the 2007 legislative session only to fail in the House later that April after legislation was introduced in that body by Rep. Fran Millar (R-Dunwoody).

Dunwoody's incorporation effort attracted stiff opposition along the way, principally from some DeKalb County leaders who said that if the community became a city the county would lose an estimated $15 million in tax revenues. Supporters downplayed the potential loss to the county and said it was the community's right to determine its destiny.

Public opposition inside Dunwoody remained relatively minimal while Citizens for Dunwoody heavily promoted the effort.

Finally, last March, the House passed the bill by a 106-60 vote. That allowed it to be sent on to Gov. Sonny Perdue who signed the legislation putting the question to voters.