Holcomb: Eliminate DeKalb's CEO Position

(Photo: Scott Holcomb website)

As DeKalb interim CEO Lee May considers resigning in the wake of a damning report alleging widespread governmental corruption throughout the county, a local Democratic lawmaker is calling for the elimination of the position altogether.

State Rep. Scott Holcomb, whose District 81 represents portions of Brookhaven, Chamblee, Doraville and unincorporated DeKalb, is being reported by the AJC as wanting 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.

Holcomb is the latest high-profile Democrat to weigh in on DeKalb’s current controversy, which began several weeks ago with the release of a report by former state Attorney General Mike Bowers and Richard Hyde, which cited widespread corruption and improper spending from many elected and appointed county officials.

The report 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 -- called on May to resign.

Earlier this 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.