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The Official Legal Organ ofDeKalb County, GA. Serving East Atlanta, Avondale Estates, Brookhaven, Chamblee, Clarkston, Decatur, Doraville, Dunwoody, Lithonia, Pine Lake, Tucker and Stone Mountain.
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Interim DeKalb County CEO Lee May introduced a “new covenant” to
restore trust in government. Photos by Andrew Cauthen
The state of DeKalb:
‘Tlirning the corner’
by Andrew Cauthen
andrew@dekalbchamp.com
“DeKalb County is turn
ing the corner.”
That’s what interim
DeKalb County CEO Lee
May said during his second
State of the County address,
delivered Jan. 22 before gov
ernment, business and com
munity leaders.
“Proverbs tells us [that]
without a vision the people
perish,” May said. “My vision
for DeKalb County is a gov
ernment that makes every
one proud.
“The final test of every
thing I do is simple. It must
answer the question, ‘Is it
good for DeKalb County?’”
May said.
May said that a year ago,
the county was in “a time
of turmoil and uncertainty”
about its future.
Now, “we are moving in
the right direction, and.. .we
are better governed. We are
stronger. We are more pros
perous. We are renewed.”
According to May, “more
and better” jobs are being
created daily, the economy is
improving and crime is de
creasing.
“Challenges remain in
DeKalb County,” May said.
“Nevertheless, we are mak
ing progress every day.”
May said that his mis
sion when he took office 18
months ago was “to restore
that government to the peo
ple and make sure that we
move forward united as one.”
The interim CEO in
troduced “a new covenant”
which he described as “a new
social compact to meet this
vision.”
“We need to renew an
understanding within gov
ernment and with each other
as citizens,” May said.
The new covenant is “an
ancient idea.. .that every citi
zen has a right to economic
opportunity; to be safe; and
to be led by an honest and
competent government,”
May said.
On the subject of public
safety, May said, “I am proud
of our police officers and
firefighters. They have the
toughest jobs in the world.”
Acknowledging that
first responders need more
help, May said he’s in the
middle of a three-year plan
to increase police and fire
personnel. Since implement
ing this plan, the county has
graduated five police acad
emies and three fire acad
emies.
“This is proving to make
our neighborhoods safer for
our children and families to
grow,” May said.
Through its parks and
recreation department, the
county in 2014 launched
Operation Fresh Start, a
countywide beautification
program; and hired 31 peo
ple in the sanitation depart
ment to do litter patrols and
mow county rights-of-way.
Efforts such as these help
“sustain our neighborhoods
and communities,” May said.
Mentioning “public cyni
cism and mistrust” of the
county government, May
said he is committed to re
storing public trust begin
ning with ethics reforms.
“Let me be very clear:
there is no tolerance for cor
ruption in my administra
tion. There is no tolerance
for unethical conduct in my
administration. There is no
tolerance for even the ap
pearance of impropriety in
my administration. I want
everyone to know that we
will stamp out corruption by
its roots and branches,” May
said.
Last year, May signed an
e are movinq in the riqh
direction, and.,.we are bette
governed, We are stronger,
We are more prosoerous, We
are renewei
-Lee May
See County on page 13A
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