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DeKalb Residents Weigh In on CEO Government

August 26th, 2013

The unsealed grand jury report that lead to the indictment of suspended DeKalb county CEO Burrell Ellis also questions the need for DeKalb county to have a CEO. DeKalb county residents are beginning to weigh in Aleck Ragsdale reports.

DeKalb has been run by a CEO since 1986. A CEO has more power than your traditional mayor. They can veto legislation, be a tie breaker in commission votes, and even move budget funds from one department to another. At the Decatur Square 52 year old Frank Kuranda says that’s too much for one person to control.

“The responsibilities of county government are far too great for one individual to muster”.

28 year old Jeremy Sherman agrees and says having that much power invites corruption

“It sounds like a real solution to a problem of corruption is having good watchdog and transparency procedures like a Sunshine law that requires everything to be done openly and publicly”.

No DeKalb residents WABE talked to this weekend who have knowledge of DeKalb county politics supported the CEO form of government.

Interim DeKalb CEO Lee May could make a recommendation in 30 days.