Brookhaven Turns Three Next Thursday

Brookhaven GA -- Brookhaven officially marks its third year as a city next Thursday, Dec. 17.

To mark the occasion, the city is inviting anyone to stop by and enjoy a birthday cake at City Hall from 8:30 am to 5 pm.

Less than three years since becoming a city, Brookhaven has seen two mayors, one city council resignation and a special election to follow. Almost immediately after their election, the new mayor and city council came under heavy fire for attempting to force the Pink Pony, an adult entertainment club, to close, an effort that resulted in an costly lawsuit for taxpayers.

J. Max Davis, Brookhaven’s first mayor, resigned earlier this year to run for state representative, but the last days of his tenure were marked by an embarrassing harassment claim and an alleged coverup of the complaint that followed.

Marie Garrett, one of the highest paid city managers in the nation, remains a lightning rod for controversy, and her tenure has seen a near-revolving door of communications officials, parks and recreation directors and other employees. The low point came this past April, when Garrett’s hand-picked communications director, Rosemary Taylor, was fired after allegedly making racist comments at the city’s first-ever Cherry Blossom Festival.

At the same time, Police Chief Gary Yandura and his department are getting high marks within the city for its policing and community outreach efforts. Numerous streets continue to be repaved in the city, and several parks and recreation centers have seen extensive refurbishment, all hallmarks of the pro-cityhood movement. And Brookhaven was one of only a few metro cities selected to receive the new, high-speed Google fiber infrastructure.

John Ernst was elected in a landslide last month to become Brookhaven’s new mayor, and Linley Jones was handily elected to serve her first full term on the council for District 1.

Brookhaven Patch covered the road to municipalization more comprehensively than any other media outlet. Here is one of our most widely read pieces, published just hours after voters elected their first mayor and city council in history.

Who Won? Who Lost? Patch Analyzes Brookhaven’s First-Ever Elections

And stay with Brookhaven Patch as we continue to provide the most comprehensive coverage of our city’s political and government news.