May Should Resign, Says Lavista Hills Alliance

The LaVista Hills Alliance is calling for the resignation of DeKalb acting CEO Lee May in light of a scathing report issued last week alleging widespread corruption throughout the county.

“There is no doubt those who run DeKalb County — starting at the top with Interim CEO Lee May — have a blatant disregard for other people’s money,” said Mary Kay Woodworth, chairman of the LaVista Hills Alliance. “We are demanding that May step down for the good of our citizens and ask the other commissioners named in the report to consider the same.”

The investigation, conduced by former state Attorney General Mike Bowers and Richard Hyde, was released last week. It cited widespread corruption and improper spending from many elected and appointed county officials.

Bowers’ report suggested May broke the law in borrowing funds from a county employee and the county doled out more than $500,000 in questionable expenses.

Bowers wrote: “While the CEO has the duty to enforce … the budget of each department, there is no evidence that he has done so. This lack of control is the origin of much of the fraud, waste and abuse we found.”

“This report confirms why our citizens have had enough and want local control with a new city,” Woodworth said. “With local control we will be able to hold our city council members more accountable than officials who don’t live in our community and obviously don’t care about our needs. DeKalb County government needs a complete overhaul, and legislative reform measures alone cannot fix the culture of corruption that is permeates this institution.”

Voters in the LaVista Hills footprint will vote on Nov. 3 on what would become DeKalb’s largest city. Its borders would extend from the Embry Hills area to the north, south along Interstate 285 to include Northlake Mall then down U.S. 29 to North Druid Hills Road and the North DeKalb Mall area west to Briarcliff Road then north on Briarcliff to Interstate 85. It would include Mercer University and the Toco Hills shopping center.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation has been ordered to review an ethics investigation and report that calls for the resignation of DeKalb interim CEO Lee May.

Gov. Nathan Deal issued the order on Thursday, according to the AJC.