The State Board of Education will meet at 8:00 a.m. on the 20th floor of the East Tower of the Sloppy Floyd Building in Downtown Atlanta to decide whether to recommend to the Governor that the DeKalb BOE be removed for running our school system into a ditch and jeopardizing its accreditation.

I am hopeful that the State BOE will recommend removal, and that Governor Deal will accept their recommendation and end the DeKalb BOE’s reign of terror.

The Sloppy Floyd Building is located across Martin Luther King Jr. Drive from the State Capitol. The State BOE is meeting is open to the public. Alternatively, you can click the following link to watch the meeting over the Internet via the State BOE’s website:

http://www.gadoe.org/External-Affairs-and-Policy/State-Board-of-Education/Pages/Live-Webcasts.aspx

The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) placed the DeKalb BOE on probation for myriad reasons: school board members meddling in administrative matters such as hiring decisions and financial resource allocation, school board members meddling in the day-to-day administration of local schools, children without textbooks, approximately $12 million in textbook expenditures without any books to show for it, an excessive amount spent “lawyering up” for various lawsuits, and on and on and on.

Now should be a time when the school board takes swift corrective action to save the accreditation that our school system is poised to lose in less than a year.

But instead they have hired former State Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond, someone with no background whatsoever in public education, as our new superintendent of schools. Mr. Thurmond promptly pledged to make himself the only person to speak for the school board at tomorrow’s State BOE hearing. The board members should answer for themselves.

The school board also hired the top-flight law firm McKenna, Long & Aldridge to provide “governance training” (no kidding) at a minimum price of $150,000.

And yesterday the school board used your tax dollars to hire former DeKalb County District Attorney Bob Wilson to sue the Governor in Fulton County Superior Court for an injunction to prevent him from removing them from office. This is just plain offensive.

All of this from a school board that SACS found to be spending too much on legal fees.

As a parent of a child in the DeKalb County schools, I feel no need to sugarcoat this:

Stop the insanity! Remove the school board.

Please attend or tune-in tomorrow at 8:00 a.m. Our children and our community depend on the State BOE getting this right.

The swearing in ceremony will be followed by the first business meeting of the Brookhaven City Council. The meeting will start at 8:00 p.m.

Both events are open to the public.

The city officially begins operations on December 17, but the city council is authorized to take binding action as soon as a quorum is sworn in.

Mayor-elect J. Max Davis has made arrangements for citizens to recycle their plastic yard signs now that the election season is over. There is a recycling trailer parked at Village Place Brookhaven, 2524 Caldwell Road, off of Dresden Drive. You may drop off your old yard signs at Village Place until Wednesday, December 12.

The members of the Georgia House of Representatives who represent portions of DeKalb County, including me, will hold a public hearing this Thursday, December 13, at 6:30 p.m. in the cafeteria at Cross Keys High School, 1626 North Druid Hills Road. This is your chance to make your voice heard on state legislative issues for the 2013 General Assembly.

TODAY is the runoff election for Mayor and City Council of the City of Brookhaven. Your regular polling place will be open until 7:00 p.m.

Don’t miss this opportunity to get our new city started on the right foot.

Click here to see the sample ballot for the election.

Please click here to see a map of the four Brookhaven City Council districts. There are runoffs for Mayor and Districts 1, 3 and 4. District 2 was the only district to elect a councilmember by more than 50% of the vote in the November election, avoiding a runoff.

Click these links for the Brookhaven Reporter’s Q&A with the candidates:

Mayor and Council District 1

Council Districts 3 and 4

See you at the polls!

I’ve been in public service eight years and have seen some pretty crazy things in that time, but nothing that sank quite this low.

Today a canvasser for Sandy Murray approached me and my wife in our driveway. He handed us an orange flyer that said the following: “J. Max Davis is a serial tax delinquent. He paid his taxes late in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 & 2012.”

I looked up this claim in the real estate deed and lien indexes of the Georgia Superior Court Clerks Cooperative Authority (GSCCCA). Here is what I found:

The tax liens DO NOT belong to J. Max Davis, the candidate for Mayor of Brookhaven. The tax liens belong to his deceased father’s estate. J. Max and his father happen to share a name.

I then called J. Max Davis, the mayoral candidate, and asked him about it.

J. Max Davis, the mayoral candidate, is not the administrator of his father’s estate. J. Max Davis, the mayoral candidate, is not responsible for the estate in any way whatsoever.

All of the tax liens happened because DeKalb County was sending tax notices to the wrong address for the estate. DeKalb has continued to send the notices to the wrong address year after year, despite having been notified of the problem.

Finally, all of the liens were marked “cancelled” when the mistake was pointed out and the estate’s property taxes were paid.

False smears are what desperate candidates do at the end of a losing campaign.

Sandy Murray did something similar at the end of her 2010 campaign for State Representative (click for more information), flyering and e-mailing a “Hail Mary” false attack, although it didn’t stoop nearly this low.

Attacking an opponent for the non-transgressions of his deceased father’s estate is beyond the pale.

Please consider forwarding this e-mail to your neighbors. They need to be aware before they vote on Tuesday, December 4.

Click here to see the sample ballot for the election.

There are three ways you can vote:

1. On Tuesday, December 4, from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. at your regular polling location.

2. Today through Friday, November 30, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. each day, at the DeKalb County Voter Registration & Elections Office, 4380 Memorial Drive, near I-285 across from the DeKalb County Jail.

3. Request an absentee ballot. Click here for the absentee ballot request form that you will need to complete. This form must be mailed so that it is received in the DeKalb County Voter Registration & Elections Office no later than Friday, November 30. They will mail you an absentee ballot. Then, your ballot must be returned via mail or in person so that it is received in the DeKalb County Voter Registration & Elections Office no later than Tuesday, December 4, at 7:00 p.m. Here is the address for mailing your absentee ballot application and subsequently your ballot:

DeKalb County Voter Registration & Elections
4380 Memorial Drive, Suite 300
Decatur, GA 30032

Please click here to see a map of the four Brookhaven City Council districts. There are runoffs for Mayor and Districts 1, 3 and 4. District 2 was the only district to elect a councilmember by more than 50% of the vote in the November election, avoiding a runoff. Congratulations to Councilman-elect Jim Eyre on his victory.

Your regular polling location will be open until 7:00 p.m.

Click here to see the DeKalb County sample ballot and click here for the Fulton County ballot, or click here to retrieve a sample ballot from the Georgia Secretary of State’s website that is specific to your polling place.

For those voting in the City of Brookhaven’s first-ever city election, the Brookhaven Reporter has put together a voter’s guide in each city council race, complete with video introductions of the candidates: Mayor, City Council District 1, City Council District 2, City Council District 3 and City Council District 4 (click to view each race).

Each Brookhaven voter will be choosing their mayor and one city council member.

See you at the polls!

One of the early voting locations in DeKalb County is very close to our community at the Chamblee Civic Center, 3540 Broad Street, in Downtown Chamblee near the train tracks. Sandy Springs voters can vote at the North Fulton Government Annex located at 7741 Roswell Road.

Please consider voting early to avoid long lines on Election Day.

Click here to see the DeKalb County sample ballot and click here for the Fulton County ballot, or click here to retrieve a sample ballot from the Georgia Secretary of State’s website that is specific to your polling place.

I also want to talk with you briefly about one of the candidates to become Brookhaven’s first mayor.

I was one of the founders of a neighborhood association known as the Ashford Alliance Community Association. Sandy Murray, a candidate for mayor, claims to be the current president of the organization.

The problem is that, in her tenure as president, the organization has gone from holding semi-regular meetings to holding no meetings whatsoever. Essentially, the Ashford Alliance has withered into nothing.

Furthermore, one of its final meetings was an alarmist “emergency meeting” called by Ms. Murray in September 2011 to discuss a “roundabout project” at Ashford Dunwoody and Johnson Ferry Roads. Click here to see the meeting notice.

This roundabout project never existed. Ms. Murray abruptly canceled the meeting when I pointed this out to the public (click for information).

Below is a photograph of Ms. Murray that a constituent sent to me. It was taken outside the Montgomery Elementary polling station during the July 31 cityhood referendum. Although Ms. Murray now claims to be “100% in favor” of the City of Brookhaven, it’s a fact that she was one of leaders of the campaign to ensure its defeat.

In my opinion, there are other worthwhile candidates for mayor who merit your consideration. The choice of who serves as the first mayor of a brand new city is a critical decision.

The Governor’s Commission plays an important role in setting up the new City of Brookhaven, which will officially open for business on December 17. Among other things, the Commission will vet candidates for major city positions such as city manager, city attorney and city clerk; make plans for the delivery of city services; issue RFPs for contractors to provide services to the city; conduct negotiations with DeKalb County regarding services; identify leased space for city offices; and hold a training seminar for city council candidates.

Click here to read the official notice of Thursday’s meeting.

On August 31, Governor Deal named the five members of the Commission. There is one representative from each of the city’s four council districts, plus an at-large chairman. The appointees are a good group of active citizens. They are as follows:

Ben Vinson, chairman

Vinson is an attorney at McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP, where he focuses on political law. Prior to his work at the firm, Vinson served as majority caucus counsel in the Georgia House of Representatives. Vinson received his law degree from the University of Georgia School of Law and his bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Furman University. After law school, Vinson served as clerk for Judge W. Brevard Hand of the U.S. District Court. Vinson currently serves as the chairman of the Georgia Immigration Enforcement Review Board. He and his wife, Ansley, live in Brookhaven with their daughter.

J.D. Clockadale, District 1 representative

Clockadale is the director of marketing promotions for RaceTrac Petroleum, Inc. Additionally, Clockadale chairs a private security patrol, staffed by off-duty DeKalb County officers, to aid successful law enforcement in Brookhaven. Prior to his work for RaceTrac Petroleum, Clockadale was the owner and managing partner for Impero, LLC and worked as a financial and insurance representative for Prudent Financial. Clockadale has been involved in developing Brookhaven while serving as founding board member of both Brookhaven Yes and Citizens for North DeKalb. Clockadale is a graduate of the Georgia Institute of Technology where he received his bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering and his MBA in Entrepreneurship and Innovations.

Todd E. Lantier, District 2 representative

Lantier is the unit sales manager for MassMutual Financial Group/Capstone Financial Partners. Lantier previously served as director of investments for both Mass/Mutual Financial Group/Capstone Financial Partner and New York Life Insurance Company. Lantier received his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Caldwell College and his associate’s degree in Building Construction Management from Wentworth Institute of Technology. Additionally, as an experienced financial services sales professional, Lantier is recognized as a designated Charted Mutual Fund Consultant. Lantier is the current president of the Brookhaven Community Connection, a founding member of Ashford Park School Education Foundation, and an advisory board member of Friends of Brookhaven Park. Lantier resides in Brookhaven with his wife, Shelia, and their children.

Jed Beardsley, District 3 representative

Beardsley is a shareholder in the law firm Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, P.C., where he specializes in real estate and tax law. Beardsley received his law degree from Emory University School of Law, his master’s in Business Administration degree from Emory University and his bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia. In addition to his professional achievements, Beardsley has supported the Brookhaven Community for years and currently serves as president of the Historic Brookhaven Foundation, Inc., and as a board member of the Historic Brookhaven Neighborhood Association. Beardsley was also the founding member for the Brookhaven Community Connection, Inc., a “business league” for local organizations.

Kim Gökçe, District 4 representative

Gökçe serves as technical project manager for AT&T. Prior to this position, Gökçe worked as manager for the Coca-Cola Company, project manager for BellSouth Telecommunications and BellSouth Business Systems, program manager for AT&T, and business analyst for Andrews-Fischer, Inc. Gökçe received his bachelor’s degree from Georgia State University and Master’s of Business Administration from the University of Hartford. Gökçe is also certified as a project management professional and a certified Netware engineer. Gökçe has served as the founding director for both the Brookhaven Community Connection and the Cross Keys Foundation, helping business and supporting public education. He was also the founding Steering Committee member for the Cross Keys Sustainable Neighborhood Initiative. In addition, Gökçe is fluent in Spanish, which he has perfected while working in the Hispanic community in DeKalb County.

Brookhaven is the first to be located entirely inside the Perimeter.

Brookhaven’s unique ITP character gave rise to the most spirited referendum campaign of the seven cities. Some neighborhoods had more “Brookhaven Yes” signs than “No” signs. Others had more “No City” signs than “Yes” signs. There were plenty of political mailers and phone calls on both sides of the debate.

And when the dust settled, 55% of the voters said “Yes” to chart a new course for our community. This is a solid majority, but also the closest margin of any of the seven new cities.

Now the difficult work begins.

Some of that work involves crucial efforts to attract the best and brightest police force, to establish plans to aggressively and equitably improve parks and resurface streets so that all of our neighborhoods can enjoy the results we are expecting to see, to adopt zoning ordinances that reflect the aspirations of our community, and to operate as cost-efficiently as possible.

Equally critical is the need to unite our community. Although “Yes” and “No” votes were counted on Election Day, that day has passed. Whether you were a “Yes” voter or a “No” voter does not matter when it comes to addressing crime, potholes, park improvements, zoning decisions, and millage rates.

Governor Deal soon will appoint a five-member commission comprised of local residents to handle the transition into cityhood.

Qualifying for mayor and four city council seats begins Monday, August 13, at 9:00 a.m. and concludes Wednesday, August 15, at 4:30 p.m. at the DeKalb County Elections Office on Memorial Drive at I-285 across from the jail.

Click here to read the official notice about qualifying to run for mayor and city council.

Click here to view a map of the four city council districts. Each city council candidate must reside in the district he or she is seeking to represent. The mayor is elected at large and may reside anywhere in the city.

The mayor and city council election will be November 6. If necessary, a run-off election will be held December 4 for those seats in which a single candidate failed to surpass 50% of the vote. The city begins operations December 17.

The mayor and city council have a responsibility to bring our community together.

And citizens have the responsibility to hold them accountable. Each of us will be 1 of 12,000 citizens in a Brookhaven city council district, as opposed to being 1 of 138,000 in a county commission district. City hall is likely to be centrally located somewhere along Peachtree Road, as compared to county offices in Downtown Decatur. The mayor and councilmembers will be our neighbors.

Government closest to the people is the most accountable. Our voices have been strengthened. As citizens, it’s a power we should use.

Together, we are Brookhaven. This is a time for optimism. As an individual citizen, I look forward to working with my neighbors to build something great.