BROOKHAVEN Councilmember John Park announces run for mayor

By Logan C. Ritchie

Brookhaven City Council member

John Park is officially announcing his run for mayor. Representing District 2 since 2014, Park has been reelected twice. His current term ends in 2025

In 2014, Park’s platform was to build Brookhaven “as a safe haven of green spaces and a community of character.” Since then, Park claims the city council has achieved better parks, more green spaces, and improved public safety while lowering homeowners’ property taxes.

Brookhaven is at a critical point in its history, Park said. Mayor John Ernst is reaching his term limit, and a municipal election is coming in November. To keep the city moving forward, Park wants continuity in the city.

“I had this fear that if we don’t continue together, all the great things we’ve accomplished could fall apart,” Park said. “We need to go to the next phase in a thoughtful and unified way, and work on it together. That’s why I want to run.”

Park expects an endorsement from fellow council members. It’s no secret that Ernst and Park are college friends.

“I’m proud of the fact that together, with the rest of the council, [Ernst and I] get along really well and accomplish a lot,” he said. “Our city council members are the most qualified and thoughtful, educated and competent people out there. What makes us really successful is we sit down, we talk about it, we hash things out.”

While in office, Park has pushed for green space and infrastructure. On the campaign trail, he heard stories from residents who felt abandoned by DeKalb County over flooding issues.

“I took that to heart. I made stormwater my focus on the city council, and we’ve mitigated most of the flooding. We’re going in the right direction. We’re dealing with 50 years of neglect by DeKalb County as well as some development that’s caused it,” Park said.

Osborne Road doesn’t flood anymore and Park credits efforts by city staff and the council. Park is a technical consultant for surveillance of nationally notifiable diseases with the Centers for Disease Control and state health agencies and laboratories.

Born in South Korea, Park immigrated to the United States with his family as a young child. He attended Decatur High School and earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the Goizueta Business School at Emory University. He and his wife, Morgan Harris, have lived in Brookhaven since 2007.

The Brookhaven municipal election is Nov. 7. First-time candidate Lauren Kiefer announced her run in May. Candidates must qualify with the city clerk between Aug. 23-25.

Toco Hills neighborhoods petition for annexation into city

By Logan C. Ritchie

Two DeKalb County neighborhoods are petitioning to be annexed into Brookhaven, a city of 58,000 in North DeKalb that has steadily grown since its 2012 inception.

A concerted effort began in 2022 with grassroots canvassing at shops and intersections in Toco Hills, then a door-todoor campaign for signatures.

A petition for the annexation of Merry Hills and Biltmore Acres was filed on May 30, showing 64% of the area’s 1,390 active voters and 62% of landowners are in favor of the move.

If approved, the annexation would be the largest annexation by the 60% method in Georgia’s history.

The state of Georgia requires a written petition signed by at least 60% of the owners of the land area (by acreage) and at least 60% of the resident electors in the area proposed for annexation.

Bounded by North Druid Hills Road, Houston Mill Road and Lavista Road, the 462-acred area is mainly residential with some mixed-use, office, and commercial properties, including the busy Toco Hill Shopping Center.

The neighborhoods are part of the area known as North Druid Hills, but most residents colloquially call the neighborhoods around the shopping center Toco Hills.

The application for annexation is being reviewed by DeKalb County commissioners, and Brookhaven is planning to vote on the matter on July 25.