FREE VOLUME 24 NUMBER 18
JUNE 23, 2018
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Attorney General: DeKalb commissioners illegally gave themselves raises
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eKalb community activist Ed Williams said he plans to ask Georgia’s Superior Court to rescind the 66 percent pay raise the DeKalb County Board of Commissioners approved for themselves on Feb. 27. Williams said he is filing a Writ of Mandamus with superior court following Attorney General Chris Carr’s determination that although the board violated the state’s open meeting law and approved the raises, it’s too late to undo the commissioners’ action. “I am going to insist that
Attorney General Chris Carr
Ed Williams
the DeKalb BOC compensation ordinance 2018-1773 be rescinded,” said Williams, who said he also plans to ask the DeKalb County Ethics Board to find the BOC in violation of
the open meeting law and their oaths of office. “The Georgia Constitution specifically excludes county governing authorities from being able to increase their compensation.” In a three-page letter dated June 20, Carr said the commissioners failed to give the public the opportunity to voice support for or opposition to the pay raises before their decision. Carr stated, however, that the 90day window to challenge the board’s vote has passed and the raises, which are scheduled to become effective in January 2019, cannot be rescinded by the courts.
Carr said the county prosecutor could pursue criminal or civil action against those who participated in the Feb. 27 meeting. The maximum penalty would be $1,000 per violation, he stated. “The actions of the Board of Commissioners in this instance fell short of the obligations imposed by the Open Meetings Act, which are designed to ensure that the public’s trust in its elected officials is not misplaced as they carry out the people’s business. The citizens of DeKalb County deserve better,” Carr wrote.
Stonecrest on the rise Taj Bradley
Lyndon Weaver
Kelvin Smith
MLB drafts three DeKalb County students The Terraces at Stonecrest is sold out. Edwina Clanton of East Metro Brokers says the townhomes started at $180K and were gobbled up like hotcakes. She said Stonecrest's close proximity to I-20, downtown Atlanta, and Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport are magnets for homebuyers. Photo provided
New businesses and homes skyrocketing in city of Stonecrest after first year By Valerie J. Morgan
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ew businesses and new homes are skyrocketing in the city of Stonecrest, which marked its first birthday in May. Stonecrest officials say the city has issued 124 new business licenses this year, compared to 114 new licenses issued for 2017. Officials say the numbers for residential development also are positive. So far this year, the city has issued 180 residential building permits, but the city’s housing growth, is expected to explode over the next couple of years.. In addition to the 180 residential permits, land is being cleared now for a new single-family subdivision where some 200 homes will be built by developer D.R. Horton near the intersection of Browns Mill and Evans Mill Roads. Preswick Communities is building a175-unit senior housing complex at 2454 DeKalb Medical Parkway, and Beverly J. Searles Foundation is planning a 250-unit senior complex at 6757 Covington Highway. The first phase will be 128 units and 122 units will be added in the second phase, city officials said. Parks at Stonecrest, a subdivision of 400 single-family homes, is expected to double in size over the next two years, said Edwina Clanton, a real estate broker who lives in the subdivision. Mayor Jason Lary says the city’s vision to create economic development is taking shape.
SEE STONECREST page 6
Redan High is standout with three picks
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By Travis Hudgons
hree seniors from DeKalb County’s Redan High School have been selected in the Major League Baseball Draft. Redan is one of only two high schools in the nation that had three players selected in the 2018 MLB draft, according to maxpreps.com. Taj Bradley, Kelvin Smith and Lyndon Weaver were selected during the June 6-8 draft to play professional baseball after competing with 1,214 players selected by 30 MLB teams over 40 rounds. Bradley had the highest overall pick at Redan. He was selected in the 5th round (150th overall) by the Tampa Bay Rays. Smith was picked in the 20th round (585th overall) by the Detroit Tigers and Weaver was selected in the 40th round (1193rd overall) by the Oakland Athletics. Weaver has chosen to forego entering the league and will attend Eastern Kentucky University, according to Redan head baseball coach Alexander Wyche. Wyche was excited for his players. “To get drafted is the ultimate goal. It’s a life-changing opportunity for the players and their family,” Wyche said. Redan is no stranger to success on the baseball diamond. The Raiders won the 2013 Class AAAA state champion and have had several former players drafted into the pros such as Wally Joyner, Brandon Phillips, Chris Nelson, and Domonic Brown. Redan had a solid team this season. Weaver was DeKalb County’s second-
leading hitter with 47 hits and a .511 batting average. Smith and Weaver played at Redan for four years and Bradley played for two years after transferring from Stephenson. Wyche was thrilled for all his players and was especially happy for the $747,500 signing bonus that Bradley received. “They took a young guy who has a big upside and had a great year for me. They invested a lot of money in him (Bradley) and he has a great opportunity to make it to the show,” said Wyche. John Hollins, director of ATL METRO RBI, said he was also proud of the Redan students’ accomplishments. All three of the students played for his summer travel team, which provides training to inner-city youths whose families cannot afford the costs of participating on a travel team, which can run $2,500 to $5,000. “It’s very expensive and the level of competition is so high. We only charge $100 for kids to participate and we make sure that our players receive the same level of training from pros that players on elite teams get,” said Hollins. Hollins said the Atlanta Braves provides $21,000 in sponsorship to his summer program. “We aggregate the teams based on age and talent so that all of our players receive training and get to play. The top players move on to compete in 10 highly competitive games,” Hollins said. Hollins said his program helped produce a total of six players, three of whom attended Redan, who were drafted by professional baseball teams this year.