State Representatives Introduce LaVista Hills Incorporation Referendum

Staff Report

State Representatives Tom Taylor (R) and Scott Holcomb (D) have introduced a bipartisan bill to incorporate the city of LaVista Hills.

The legislation, HB 520, would authorize a referendum in November of 2015, in which residents of the proposed city would vote on whether they want to form a new city.

“Brookhaven, Sandy Springs and Dunwoody all have lower tax rates than DeKalb County and LaVista Hills will too,” said Allen Venet, LaVista Hills YES co-chair and former City of Briarcliff chairperson. “Instead of paying DeKalb County for services including police, zoning, and roads, the same tax dollars would shift over to a leaner city government.”

“The City of LaVista Hills will benefit all of DeKalb County,” said Mary Kay Woodworth, LaVista Hills YES co-chair and former Lakeside YES chairperson. “A smarter, well managed government is good for everyone in LaVista Hills, and a successful city will help all of DeKalb County.”

Studies by UGA’s non-partisan Carl Vinson Institute completed for the former Lakeside and Briarcliff cityhood proposals­­­ (the two groups that merged to form LaVista Hills) showed multi-million dollar annual surpluses. Using the new boundaries and CVI’s methodologies, LaVista Hills YES projects the new city will start with a surplus of approximately $4.9 million. CVI is currently conducting a new study for LaVista Hills YES, the results of which will be released when the study is complete.

“The daily headlines citing DeKalb County government corruption and fiscal malfeasance have taken their toll on taxpayers. Legislators are now talking about reform, but when the current and former DeKalb ethics board chairs express concern about the sincerity of those reforms, it is clear that citizens must take action to preserve and improve their communities,” said Woodworth. “A locally elected city council – with focused citizen scrutiny on accountability, financial stewardship and ethical behavior - will deliver more efficient, honest government.”

“It’s too late to wait for DeKalb County to fix itself. The City of LaVista Hills will start out with plans for auditing and ethics that have been recommended to the County by multiple groups and studies during the last several years, which the County still has not implemented. We will support the efforts for DeKalb to clean up its problem areas and set an example of good governance. The time for action is now,” say Venet and Woodworth.

More information, including extensive background on cityhood and LaVista Hills, can be found at www.lavistahillsyes.com.