Representative Opposes Potential ‘Megacity’ in DeKalb County

“The Tucker people who are considering this…We’ve got a city sitting out here, the city of Lakeside, with about 70,000 people. We could possibly have a city with 90,000 people, the size of Sandy Springs.”

And Millar said his main motivation for combining the two cities would be to allow more he represents to be included. But Democratic Representative Billy Mitchell who supports the proposed city of Tucker is opposed.

“Just to go through this exercise to create a mini-DeKalb if you will, that was the reason why many people wanted to form a city is because they wanted a local control, they wanted to preserve neighborhoods. I think that kind of posturing is indicative is that those kind of proposals are weak and they wish to bring in others.”

Mitchell made the comments during a House committee hearing on his bill for Tucker. During the hearing, Ann Lewis who supports Tucker said Tucker has a long history, and she doesn’t want the legislature to carve her community up.

“Everybody already thinks Tucker is a city, so isn’t a stretch to say that of these three cities the one already exists is Tucker.”

But others like Robert Stamper who lives in the unincorporated Stone Mountain spoke against the plan.

“It’s not right to do this to me and my neighbors who don’t want a new address.”

The hearing comes after the Senate passed legislation Wednesday to allow voters to decide on the creation of Lakeside.

Lawmakers who support Tucker and Briarcliff say although legislation to create their cities did not pass the House before crossover day…they can still substitute their plans for the Lakeside bill that passed the Senate on Wednesday.