Brookhaven residents- how are you voting on 7/31? (Atlanta, Sandy Springs: magnet school, pros and cons)

[Saintmarks]

Originally Posted by fzx

Plus what is the incentive for Buckhead to be part of the Brookhaven sys? To pay more tax with a worse school district? How logical.

Even if this were to happen, the parts of Buckhead affected would still be in Fulton County, not DeKalb County, so they wouldn't go into the DeKalb school system. They would no longer be in the Atlanta city system either, so don't know what they would do. Most likely they would default to Fulton County Schools. For this reason alone, this will never happen.

[ericsonga]

Originally Posted by cittic10

The new incorporated residents will still be paying more in taxes. And that will only get worse as the new city will assume the burden of more and more services like code enforcement, PD, parks and rec, wastewater and storm drain management and so on.

Actually, at most the citizens of Brookhaven would be paying the same they are currently paying. However, it is projected that the citizens will be paying much less. There will also be a millage rate cap to prevent the property taxes rising.

[gumboula]

I will be voting in favor of the new city. I was living in the slice of DeKalb County that is in the City of Atlanta when Dunwoody incorporated. And my bleeding heart liberal self viewed it as an elitist, racist, self-serving maneuver. Well then I moved to unincorporated DeKalb County... I continue to be flabbergasted by the utter lack of services provided by the county. My old neighborhood in City of Atlanta had great parks, decent trash pickup, responsive police, and a city council person who always attended our neighborhood organization meetings. The only thing that didn't get WORSE moving to unincorporated DeKalb was trash pickup. And who really needs twice a week trash pickup?

I think in civil society we should pay taxes for services that benefit the public good. And I don't think that public good necessarily means a direct benefit to me. I am voting for the new city NOT because I want lower taxes, less government, or any of that neocon crap. My vote is my way of rejecting a government that seems to reject just about everyone they represent. While at the same time building a multimillion dollar soapbox derby track (and Burrell Ellis is actually a huge improvement over Vernon Jones!).

[bryantm3]

Originally Posted by gumboula

I will be voting in favor of the new city. I was living in the slice of DeKalb County that is in the City of Atlanta when Dunwoody incorporated. And my bleeding heart liberal self viewed it as an elitist, racist, self-serving maneuver. Well then I moved to unincorporated DeKalb County... I continue to be flabbergasted by the utter lack of services provided by the county. My old neighborhood in City of Atlanta had great parks, decent trash pickup, responsive police, and a city council person who always attended our neighborhood organization meetings. The only thing that didn't get WORSE moving to unincorporated DeKalb was trash pickup. And who really needs twice a week trash pickup?

I think in civil society we should pay taxes for services that benefit the public good. And I don't think that public good necessarily means a direct benefit to me. I am voting for the new city NOT because I want lower taxes, less government, or any of that neocon crap. My vote is my way of rejecting a government that seems to reject just about everyone they represent. While at the same time building a multimillion dollar soapbox derby track (and Burrell Ellis is actually a huge improvement over Vernon Jones!).

these are all the reasons brookhaven should be annexed into the city of atlanta and not another independent community.

[aries4118]

Originally Posted by bryantm3

these are all the reasons brookhaven should be annexed into the city of atlanta and not another independent community.

Yes. This.

[gumboula]

Originally Posted by bryantm3

these are all the reasons brookhaven should be annexed into the city of atlanta and not another independent community.

But that isn't going to happen. Period. So what option does that leave?

[bryantm3]

Originally Posted by gumboula

But that isn't going to happen. Period. So what option does that leave?

i haven't heard it being ruled out except by the people who are really gung-ho for an indepedent city. i'm sure it's a possibility, even if brookhaven does incorporate they may later vote to be annexed into the city. atlanta would love it because it would mean a high income area gets added to the tax base, versus their reluctance to annex sandtown which is a relatively low income area.

[arjay57]

What's driving the city of Brookhaven movement is the fact that folks up there have been getting poked in the eye by DeKalb County for several decades despite their hefty tax contributions. They simply don't get a fair shake on spending for parks, police and similar quality of life issues. In the meantime the county's payroll ballooned to massive levels (nearly twice those in Gwinnett or Cobb) and taxes kept going up. Their representative on the county commission lives 20 miles away.

DeKalb could have headed this off long ago if they'd been a little more attentive to the north side of the county. However, if you take advantage of people long enough they will eventually become dissatisfied. It's similar to what happened in Fulton County.

[GRS86]

Originally Posted by arjay57

What's driving the city of Brookhaven movement is the fact that folks up there have been getting poked in the eye by DeKalb County for several decades despite their hefty tax contributions. They simply don't get a fair shake on spending for parks, police and similar quality of life issues. In the meantime the county's payroll ballooned to massive levels (nearly twice those in Gwinnett or Cobb) and taxes kept going up. Their representative on the county commission lives 20 miles away.

DeKalb could have headed this off long ago if they'd been a little more attentive to the north side of the county. However, if you take advantage of people long enough they will eventually become dissatisfied. It's similar to what happened in Fulton County.

It's amazing how in 25 years, a county can go from one of the best run, best managed counties in GA, to a county that's so incompetently run, both on the governmental and school level.

IMHO, before, it's all said and done, most all of DeKalb north of 78 will end up being incorporated. I think people in Druid Hills, Tucker, and the 30087 zip, which includes Smokerise and a few, mostly upscale subdivisions along the DeKalb/Gwinnett line are sitting back awaiting the outcome of the Brookhaven annexation efforts. If Brookhaven is successful, then, the incorporation snowball will pick up steam.

In the last 8-10 years or so, it's as if the only interests being represented in DeKalb are the South DeKalb interests.

[Saintmarks]

My opnion is that counties shouldn't be in the city business anyway. Atlanta and its suburbs should be incorporated across the board, none of this county run stuff. When the county grows to a certain point, it becomes too unwieldy. First Fulton, now DeKalb. Gwinnett won't be far behind. So far Cobb is doing ok, but looking at the example of DeKalb, can't hold onto this forever.

Counties should do basic county stuff, not try and compete with municipalities. Municipal services should be provided by cities. Let all of metro Atlanta incorporate I say... if it is developed and needs municipal services (water, police, libraries, trash, etc, etc). An area should remain unincorporated when it is rural, when it needs services, let it become a new city or annexed into an existing city.