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LOCAL THURSDAY, AUGUST 24 - 30, 2017 • Page 8 STONE MOUNTAIN Gubernatorial candidate wants Confederate carving removed from Stone Mountain Democratic governor candidate Stacey Abrams is calling for the Confederate carving to be removed from Stone Mountain. Photo by Carla Parker BY CARLA PARKER carla@dekalbchamp.com In the wake of the White supremacists rally in Charlottesville, Va., that led to three deaths, a Democratic gubernatorial candidate is calling for the Confederate carving to be removed from Stone Mountain in Stone Mountain Park. In a series of tweets, Stacey Abrams said on Twitter that the carving of Confederate leaders on the mountain is a “blight on our state and should be removed.” “The removal of the [carving] of Confederates from Stone Mountain has been a constant debate since the state bought the property in 1958,” she said. “Paid for by founders of the [second] [Klu Klux Klan], the monument has no purpose other than celebration of racism, terror and division when carved in 1915. Confederate monuments belong in museums where we can study and reflect on that terrible history, not in places of honor across our state.” Abrams acknowledged the managers of Stone Mountain Park and their efforts to educate visitors about slavery through an audio tour in her tweets. In an interview with The Champion, Abrams said she wrote these tweets after she was asked where she stood on the issue of Confederate memorials. “We cannot celebrate, on state grounds, the confederacy,” she said. “The massive size [of Stone Mountain] is much louder than any degree of exhibits. You can see Stone Mountain from everywhere. You can see those leaders riding triumphantly and it sends the wrong message.” The carving on the mountain portrays three Confederate leaders of the Civil War: President Jefferson Davis and Generals Robert E. Lee and Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson and their favorite horses, “Blackjack,” “Traveller” and “Little Sorrel.” The carving was conceived by C. Helen Plane, a charter member of the United Daughters of the Confederacy (UDC). The Venable family, owners of the mountain, deeded the north face of the mountain to the UDC in 1916. The UDC was given 12 years to complete a large Civil War monument. Gutzon Borglum was commissioned to do the carving, but abandoned the project in 1925 and went on to begin Mount Rushmore. American sculptor Augustus Lukeman continued the project until 1928, when further work stopped for thirty years. In 1958, at the urging of Governor Marvin Griffin, the Georgia Legislature approved a measure to purchase Stone Mountain for $1,125,000. In 1963, Walker Hancock was selected to complete the carving, and work began in 1964. The carving was completed by Roy Faulkner. The carving was considered complete on March 3, 1972. For years, civil rights leaders and activists have petitioned the state to have the carving and Confederate flags removed from the park, which was the site of Ku Klux Klan rallies in the 1960s. In 2015, thousands of people signed a petition to have See Confederate on Page 15A DECATUR Decatur BY HORACE HOLLOMAN horace@dekalbchamp.com When Decatur commissioners decided to increase the mayor’s salary in 1994, then Decatur Mayor Elizabeth Wilson made $50 a month. The commission decided to raise the salary to $500, an increase of 900 percent. Approximately 23 years later, the Decatur City Commission decided it was time to raise the salary again. In a 4-0 vote Aug. 7 during a regular meeting of the city commission, commissioners and Mayor Patti Garrett approved a resolution to increase the mayor’s salary from $500 per month to $1,250 per month ($15,000 annually) and $1,000 per month ($12,000 annually) for city commissioners effective Jan. 1,2018. According to Decatur City Manager Peggy Meriss, the city analyzed other municipal elected officials’ salaries in DeKalb County. “The information indicates that the current salary for the mayor is 10 out of 11, only higher than Pine Lake. The current salary for the other city commissioners is sixth out of 10,” Meriss wrote in a memo. “Given the 23 years since the compensation has been changed and the increased demands on the positions, an increase in compensation...seems reasonable.” Once the salary increases take effect, the mayor of Decatur would rank fifth among 11 DeKalb County mayors. According to a list of salaries compiled by the Decatur city manager, Tucker’s mayor ranks first with an annual salary of $20,000. Former Decatur Mayor Bill Floyd spoke in favor of mayor, commissioners increase salary Decatur City Commissioners and Mayor Patti Garrett voted to approve a pay increase to take effect January of 2018. the increase. “We ask a lot of our elected officials and we demand a lot of you and it’s only fair that the compensation in Decatur be increased,” Floyd said. “The last time we did this was in 1994. We raised [the annual salary] 10 times from $50 a month to $500 a month.” Floyd said a low salary for the mayor and commissioner would “penalize” them. “Sometimes it’s hard to vote on a pay increase for yourself and the last time we did this Elizabeth Wilson was mayor getting $50 a month. That was not appropriate,” Floyd said. “I encourage you to support [a pay increase].” Currently, four cities in DeKalb County have city council members who make more than $10,000 annually (Tucker, Brookhaven, Dunwoody and Chamblee). After the pay increase, Decatur will become the fifth at $12,000 annually for city council members.