Georgia Senate OKs referendum to abolish DeKalb CEO (Dunwoody, Tucker: appointed, attorney)

[Airforceguy]

Senators voted 36-16 along party lines to hold a referendum in November on a proposal to replace the elected DeKalb CEO with a professional manager appointed by the county commission.Republicans have advocated the change for years in Democrat-controlled DeKalb. But the issue has taken on greater urgency in the last couple of years, with the suspension and subsequent conviction of former DeKalb CEO Burrell Ellis for attempted extortion and three counts of perjury in a scheme to solicit campaign contributions from companies that do business with the county.
After Ellis’ departure, Interim CEO Lee May hired two special investigators to probe allegations of corruption in county government. The investigators, including former Georgia Attorney General Mike Bowers, returned with a report calling the level of corruption “stunning” and calling on May to resign.
“This is not a cure for DeKalb County,” said Sen. Fran Millar, R-Dunwoody, the bill’s sponsor. “But it’s certainly a good start.”
Senate Democrats from DeKalb didn’t object to getting rid of the CEO position. But several complained the seven county commission districts mapped out in the bill were skewed against black voters.
“A county that is 67 percent minority shouldn’t have three districts with less than 20 percent African-American [voters],” said Senate Minority Leader Steve Henson, D-Tucker.
Sen. Gloria Butler, D-Stone Mountain, said Millar’s map also ignored communities of interest, a violation of accepted redistricting principles.

http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/b...sh-dekalb.html

[bu2]

Originally Posted by Airforceguy

http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/b...sh-dekalb.html

Misleading comment by Henson. 67% "minority", but not all of that is Black. And there are few non-Blacks in the southern part of the county, so when you have 3 southern districts that are 90%+ Black, that doesn't leave as many for the other 4 districts, especially the 3 northernmost.

TPTB just like having the CEO position and being able to control it. They want to study and study and delay and delay and hope people forget about it. The districting is just another red herring to distract.

[jero23]

I doubt it will make it through...