In a smoke-filled backroom at the Cigar Merchant, a Dunwoody shop that specializes in all things stogie, Eddie Fields holds court.
On Tuesday, he and his neighbors will vote on whether his unincorporated community should become a city, but Fields already has predicted the outcome.
"It is going to happen,'' said Fields, owner of the shop and a 15-year resident of Dunwoody. "I always wanted a chance to vote on it. And now that we have a chance, I don't see any reason not to vote for it. This is something I have wanted to do for years."
So have many others in the affluent north DeKalb community.
While there's been no official polling on Dunwoody's incorporation, a walk through town reveals vocal and visible support for cityhood, with "Dunwoody Yes" signs plastering many windows and yards.
Organizers like Dunwoody Yes, a political action group that has raised funds to campaign for cityhood, say they are tired of seeing their tax dollars spent on the south end of the county while their roads need repair.
"We want to secure local decisions close to home so we can stop the bad zoning that overcrowds schools, and improve police protection and the infrastructure by getting control of our tax dollars," said Bev Wingate, co-chair of Dunwoody Yes.
But opponents of cityhood are fearful their taxes will skyrocket and services will actually suffer.
"If we become a city, we will have to pay more taxes, which I don't want to do," said Binh Nguyen, who has owned the Dunwoody Cobbler for eight years.
If the referendum is approved, the city of Dunwoody would open for business on Dec. 1, stretching to Fulton County on the north, Sandy Springs on the west, Gwinnett County on the east and I-285 on the south. A mayor and city council would be elected on Sept. 16, 2008.
Right now, "When we look around town, there is no fixing of potholes and repairing of streets,'' said Wingate, adding she is not interested in running for office at this time. "Crime has increased. There are trailers everywhere in the schools. There are some things that the county does well. There are some things that a city can do better."
Tax question big issue
Proponents argue there will be no significant increase in taxes should the measure pass.
"I am sure they are going to try to keep the taxes under control," said Sandra Long, a floral consultant in Dunwoody.
Nguyen, a shoe repairman, said the change would have an immediate impact on his business if he has to pay taxes to both the city and the county. He lives in Norcross now and pays those city taxes as well as Gwinnett taxes.
Plus, he has no complaints about the services Dunwoody gets from the county.
"I don't understand," he said. "I think DeKalb County takes care of us very well."
If the vote passes, DeKalb stands to lose about $15 million in tax revenue.
The new city would absorb Perimeter Mall, the Dunwoody Nature Center and the north campus of Georgia Perimeter College.
Last Monday, the DeKalb Chamber of Commerce announced it would oppose the Dunwoody referendum because it "would have a profoundly negative impact on the business community."
In its statement, the chamber expressed fear of higher taxes and fees on businesses.
Independence movement
Dunwoody is the latest in a long list of communities seeking independence as cities.
Fulton County was recently sliced up, with the creation of Sandy Springs, Johns Creek and Milton.
But there have been bumps in the road.
Milton officials recently complained about having trouble paying for basic services. For example, Milton has 175 miles of city-owned roads but only enough money to maintain five miles of road a year. In addition to those costs, repairs to one of the bridges in the city is going to cost up to $300,000 out of an annual budget of about $17.7 million.
Wingate said she has heard the concerns, particularly from critics who doubt that the city of Dunwoody would be able to fund projects that the county previously took care of.
"We will have the privilege of making a master plan for all of these things. At the present time, there is no master plan for the city of Dunwoody," Wingate said. "Everything will not happen overnight. But we can prioritize what we want done and how we want it done. We will be in control."
Fields, for one, doesn't anticipate the same problems as those in Milton. "Dunwoody is more established than Milton," Fields said. "And we have businesses. We have a base. We are already a stand-alone city."
Ernie Smith, owner of the Village Barber Shop, agrees. It is hard to peek inside the shop. Most of the window is plastered with a large "Dunwoody Yes" sign.
"It sounds like, so far, this is going to be a slam-dunk," said Smith, the owner. "People would rather see their tax dollars stay local."
Barbershop debate
As usual, the Village Barber Shop is humming. Two televisions are running, all the chairs are full, and a steady buzz of chatter — about everything from Jeff Francoeur to the weather — provides the soundtrack.
A man walks in, takes out a small hand accordion and gives an impromptu concert.
When the talk turns to politics, it's clear Smith is no fan of DeKalb County CEO Vernon Jones, who is running for the U.S. Senate.
Jones' term as the county's CEO has at least been whispered as one of the reasons why many people in Dunwoody want to leave. Some observers suggest race is a factor, since Dunwoody is largely white and Jones is African-American, as is much of the south part of the county. But many Dunwoody residents disagree.
"This has absolutely nothing to do with race," Smith, who is white, said of his feelings about Jones, a black man. "But he is the only CEO who is running around with five bodyguards. Those are our tax dollars being wasted."
"They ought to close shop on the CEO job all together," someone interjects.
"We have been unfairly taxed for the representation we get," Smith said. "I am sure my taxes will go up and I am willing to withstand a little increase."
Several people in the barbershop said their tax dollars would be put to better use with their own government and leadership.
They complain, for example, about how long it takes for 911 calls to be answered.
"We feel like we have been neglected," said Jim Peacock, who has lived in Dunwoody for a year. "There is no police protection. No road service. It seems like we are just up here by ourselves."
The Citizens of Dunwoody, a nonprofit group that led the effort to get the referendum through the Legislature, is proposing a police force of 28 full-time officers to secure a city of more than 30,000 people. By comparison, Decatur has 36 officers for 19,000 people.
But proponents of cityhood say it's one step at a time.
"How many times in your lifetime do you have a chance to make a difference for future generations?" asked Wingate. "We can leave a legacy."
No comments:
Post a Comment