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  • January 15, 2012

Mayoral candidate pushes Dunwoody to annex next door - Dunwoody Crier: News

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Mayoral candidate pushes Dunwoody to annex next door

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Posted: Tuesday, December 27, 2011 12:08 pm | Updated: 12:05 pm, Tue Jan 3, 2012.

A defeated candidate for mayor of Dunwoody, Bob Dallas, surprised the city council and area state legislators by moving quickly after the election to convince council it should annex the part of the Perimeter Community Improvement District that lies inside I-285 at Ashford Dunwoody Road.

In conversations with all but one member of the city council, The Crier learned that Dallas was urging the annexation. He said he was not.

“I was asking questions,” he said, “I was not lobbying.”

While Dallas did have some financial support from officials of the PCID during the race for mayor, he quickly learned he did not have support on this issue.

Yvonne Williams, chief executive of the PCIDs for Dunwoody and Sandy Springs, emailed the council, legislators and her board after hearing of Dallas’s efforts.

“It has come to our attention that there are increased conversations being held about annexation of that portion of the PCIDs which currently lie within unincorporated DeKalb County being annexed into Dunwoody,” she wrote. “This e-mail is for one purpose and that is clarity. The PCIDs have no formal position on annexation either by Brookhaven or by Dunwoody.  Our revenues remain the same as a self-taxing district imposing an additional 4 mills of property tax on commercial property only, regardless of our location.  As an organization, we have no agents or representatives that are authorized to state a formal position by this organization and most particularly by me or my staff.”

While Dunwoody would receive a huge increase in tax revenue if it were to annex such buildings as the Auto Trader tower (the former Hewlett Packard building) and Villa Christina, a consensus exists on the council and among state legislators that no such action will be taken until the movement for a city of Brookhaven is resolved. 

State Rep. Tom Taylor (R-Dunwoody) said it would be treachery for one new city—Dunwoody— to poach the tax assets of another potential new city. 

Taylor points out that plans for a city of Brookhaven are moving quickly. The General Assembly reconvenes in two weeks and will be asked to authorize a 2012 referendum. Citizens already have raised close to $30,000 for a study by the Vinston Institute of Government. That study found a city to be viable.

Dallas, however, argues that the issue lies in the hands of the property owners. “If a petition is presented to council, he said, “council will have to take action, or not.”

Asked if he represented a PCID property owner or owners, Dallas sidestepped the question.

“For me to answer that is for me to say more than I can say,” he said. 

As to whether a property owner might petition Dunwoody for annexation before Brookhaven incorporation is resolved, Dallas said, “I’m not going to answer the question; I have no knowledge.”

A furious state Rep. Mike Jacobs (R-north DeKalb) and a staunch ally of Dunwoody’s drive to cityhood said a policy decision was made back in 2008 to respect boundaries. 

As to whether DeKalb County’s summer property tax increase of 27 percent might influence building owners to seek Dunwoody’s lower tax rate, Jacobs agreed, but said Brookhaven isn’t likely to maintain the DeKalb tax rate if the city is created by the legislature and a referendum.

“I anticipate that Brookhaven will deliver a property tax cut,” he said, “and we are exploring reducing the millage cap in the enabling legislation.”

Typical of reaction from the Dunwoody city council was that of Councilman Doug Thompson.

“Before making a decision on the matter, I would certainly want to hear the PCID’s position, the property owners position and the position of the folks pushing incorporation of the city of Brookhaven,” he said.   “Without their approval, I would not likely support the annexation.  If the incorporation of the city of Brookhaven is not successful, then this is an issue that we should study at that time.” 

Councilor Adrian Bonser was even more opposed to the idea.

“I believe the folks in Brookhaven should have the same right to vote on whether to incorporate or not as we did here in Dunwoody,” she said.  “There should be no interference on the part of Dunwoody or any other government entity.  Annexing a piece of property that is crucial to the feasibility of a city of Brookhaven before the folks have had the chance to vote on incorporation is unconscionable.”

She added that such a move would cause “irreparable damage” to the city’s relationship with Jacobs, who long championed the city.

© 2012 Dunwoody Crier. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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1 comment:

  • Bmorris posted at 2:35 pm on Wed, Dec 28, 2011.

    Posts: 2

    If Dunwoody annexed the area being discussed, the City of Brookhaven would be a MUCH less viable option. I suppose that would make Dekalb County pleased. What is Dallas' motivation? [huh]