ICYMI: DeKalb Commissioner Wants Interim CEO to Resign Commission Seat

A DeKalb County commissioner is asking the county’s interim CEO resign his post on the board of commissioners so a new representative for southeast DeKalb can be elected.

WSB-TV reports that Interim CEO Lee May has not given up his seat on the board because there’s a possibility that suspended DeKalb County CEO Burrell Ellis will be acquitted of corruption charges and return to his old position. Since May was appointed to the interim job by Gov. Nathan Deal, his former constituents in southeast DeKalb haven’t had a voice on the board of commissioners.

Commissioner Nancy Jester wants to return representation to southeast DeKalb byrequesting May resign from his board seat, WSB-TV says. Once May officially steps down, his truly vacant seat on the board of commissioners would then be filled by a special election. May’s district comprises some 150,000 residents, who have been without a representative for nearly two years.

Commissioners have been unable to appoint a new representative for May’s district due to differences between the council members, WSB-TV says. The commission recently rejected a slate of five candidates for the vacant seat.

Not even the office of Gov. Nathan Deal wants to get involved in the morass; the office declined a request by May to appoint someone to his old seat, telling WSB-TV that May must resign and be replaced by whoever wins the special election.