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LOCAL THURSDAY, JULY 20, 2017 • Page 4A DeKalb County police officers in attendance at a July 11 commission meeting. DeKalb County commissioners passed a budget that would address an increase in pay for public safety officials. DcKalb commissioners pass budget Includes raises for public safety personnel BY HORACE HOLLOMAN horace@dekalbchamp.com According to DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond, it doesn’t matter what you say is your priority, where your money is going reveals the “real” priority. Thurmond, who had his proposed mid-year budget passed by the DeKalb County Board of Commissioners July 11, said the budget puts its money where its mouth is. “The proof is in the pudding,” said Thurmond, while discussing his budget with commissioners. The budget is set to address some of the county’s issues such as blight and an increase in public safety salary, Thurmond said The county plans to address public safety increases with a three- year strategy for pay scale, salary compression, recruitment and retention. More than $7.2 million of existing funding will be redirected to operational needs and to fund public safety pay packages, county officials said. Roughly $1.6 million will be dedicated to the first phase of addressing public safety employee compensation. “The first step will improve the salaries of nearly 1,000 front-line public safety employees. Public safety is paramount and the CEO recognizes every employee is important and we want to continue to develop compensation packages,” Thurmond said. The budget also funds “operation clean sweep” and addresses blighted properties in DeKalb County. Buildings at Brannon Hill condominiums are set to be demolished in July and local funds will be used to do so. “This is going to be a collaborative effort,” said DeKalb County Director of Beautification Marcus Kellum. “It’s very difficult to understand the impact of [this property’s] debris, trash, illegal dumping and the fleas. It’s a little overwhelming, but with the support of commissioners we can begin to tell the story that we’re working on remediating these conditions.” Though many spoke in favor of the CEO’s budget, some felt the budget does not fully address some of the county’s key issues. DeKalb County resident Joe Arrington said he wants commissioners to vote in the best interests of residents. “I’ve been coming to these meetings a long, long time. Longer than you’ve been on the commission. You’re not going to make any changes [to the budget] and we know it. It’s a process and we know it,” Arrington said. “Just like the CEO said, the numbers in your budget reflect your priorities.” Tucker resident works to save forest near Sears property A Tucker resident is trying save 44 acres of forest near the vacant Sears Distribution Center property, which is in a proposal for a mixed-use development. BY CARLA PARKER carla@dekalbchamp.com While a developer is working to have a mixed-use development proposal approved, a Tucker resident is trying save 44 acres of forest near the property at Mountain Industrial Boulevard and Hugh Howell Road. Green park advocate Steve Hagen, who has lived in Tucker since 2012, wants the city to deny developer Stephen Macauley’s plans to build single family homes north of the vacant Sears Distribution Center property to save the forest on that land. Macauley has presented several proposals to the Tucker City Council to construct a $300 million mixed-use development project on 88 acres. “The developer’s proposal leaves the minimum amount [of forest/greenspace] that he’s required to leave—20 percent,” Hagan said. “But he’s going to wipe out half of what this good forest is. When you wipe out half of it then you’ve changed the edge of it and then different trees will grow and it’s very evident that’s happened already.” Hagan said behind the Sears buildings are pine trees that have become invasive and grew into the forest. “If you wipe out [the forest] you’ll create a bigger mess down the road,” he said. In January, the city council voted to accept Macauley’s withdrawal request of three application items needed to construct the development. Macauley’s decision to withdraw came after city council members made motions to either defer their vote or deny the applications due to several concerns. One of those concerns was the city not having a downtown development authority in place yet to evaluate the project. Macauley also requested the city’s comprehensive plan be amended. The city is currently using DeKalb County’s comprehensive plan while in the process of developing its own plan. Since withdrawing his request, See Sears on Page 12A
