Deal: Time to Change DeKalb's Form of Government

Gov. Nathan Deal says he supports an idea to eliminate the CEO position from DeKalb County government.

Deal told the AJC that back when he appointed Lee May as interim CEO, they both discussed the idea of eventually eliminating the CEO position.

May is under increasing pressure to resign in the wake of a report released several weeks ago that cited widespread corruption and questionable spending practices throughout the county government.

State Rep. Scott Holcomb, whose District 81 represents portions of Brookhaven, Chamblee, Doraville and unincorporated DeKalb, wants to eliminate the CEO position and perhaps replace with it with a professional county manager.

Holcomb said he plans to file a proposal in 2016 to change DeKalb’s form of government from its current CEO model. Several local GOP lawmakers, including Sen. Fran Millar of Dunwoody, have been advocating that change for some time.

The report by former state Attorney General Mike Bowers and Richard Hyde also called on May to resign, a call repeated about two weeks later by Decatur State Sen. Emanuel Jones, the first Democrat to say May should step down.

District 1 Commissioner Nancy Jester -- who represents portions of Dunwoody and Brookhaven on the county commission -- also has called on May to resign.

Last week, May told a Lithonia town hall meeting that he takes responsibility for the county’s recent governmental, political and financial troubles, and that he is considering resigning.

But May made it clear that he isn’t considering resigning because of what he said are false accusations made against him, according to 11Alive.

May made his comments before a crowd of more than 250 people, most of whom were supporters,according to the AJC.

May has scheduled town hall meetings in Brookhaven and Dunwoody to address the controversies.