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DeKalb CEO Thurmond ready to proceed with charter review commission

DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond. KENT D. JOHNSON / AJC file

Credit: KENT D. JOHNSON / AJC

Credit: KENT D. JOHNSON / AJC

DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond. KENT D. JOHNSON / AJC file
By
Feb 21, 2019

Nearly one year after DeKalb CEO Michael Thurmond promised to create a Charter Review Commission to study the county’s unique form of government, he now says he is ready to proceed.

Thurmond on Wednesday outlined a process for appointing 17 people to the commission. In a press release, he said the group will begin its work in April and be authorized through December 2020.

He said last March that he would create the commission by executive order, the result of talks between the CEO, county commission presiding officer Jeff Rader and DeKalb leaders in the General Assembly.

The last time the county's governing documents were studied was 40 years ago, Thurmond's news release said. Many county leaders and constituents have requested a charter review, saying that repeated calls to dissolve the county's unique CEO government should be vetted through a comprehensive study of the county's operations and structure.

The CEO’s office did not respond to questions about when Thurmond’s executive order will be signed. Until then, the Charter Review Commission won’t be official.

About the Author

Tia Mitchell is the AJC’s Washington Bureau Chief. In this role, she writes about Georgia’s congressional delegation, campaigns, elections and the impact that decisions made in D.C. have on residents of the Peach State.

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