Politics & Government

Senate Committee May Study City of DeKalb Idea

A City of DeKalb would be created out of unincorporated land in DeKalb County -- an idea that is affecting annexation discussions in the City of Decatur.

Some lawmakers are discussing the idea of a City of DeKalb that would be created out of all the unincorporated areas of DeKalb County.

State Sen. Gloria Butler, D-Stone Mountain, will chair a Senate study committee on the incorporation of the city of DeKalb, according to Neighbor Newspapers.

Her office said the other committee members are Sens. Steve Henson, Gail Davenport, Emanuel Jones, Jason Carter, Ronald Ramsey and Fran Millar.

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From the story:

Butler will be joined by a group of seven committee members, consisting of fellow legislators and local officials from DeKalb County.

“Throughout the committee process, it is important to remember that the people who live in our cities and counties share an underlying love for their community,” said Butler. “That resource alone needs to be heavily considered when deciding the future of local municipalities. I’m honored that the lieutenant governor has selected me to serve as chair of this committee, and look forward to hearing feedback from the people of DeKalb County.”

Find out what's happening in Virginia Highland-Druid Hillswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Creating a City of DeKalb has been discussed for years, but the idea has taken on a new urgency recently. The creation of Brookhaven and Dunwoody reduced the county's tax base and the City of Decatur is talking about annexing land into the city.

Also, here are some recent stories on incorporation/annexation efforts.

  • Decatur Annexation Foes Create Website
  • Could 'City of DeKalb' Affect Decatur's Annex Decision?
  • Decatur Planning To Annex


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