David's blog

Thank you for your support on election day. I am humbled to have won re-election with more than 80 percent of the vote.

I was a co-author of Senate Bill 52 which proposes to the voters of DeKalb County changes in our County's form of government. The proposal will be on the 2008 General Election ballot.

Below are responses to some frequently asked questions. I did not prepare these responses personally. I think they are accurate and well written.

1. What did Senate Bill 52 really do? Senate Bill 52 (SB52) puts before the voters a ballot issue which will change three primary things about the way government works in DeKalb County.

First, it changes the person who is running the Board of Commissioners' meetings from the County's CEO to the Presiding Officer who is chosen by the Board. Second, it moves the power to prepare the agenda from the CEO to the Board. Third, it makes the position of Clerk to the Commission an appointment of the Commission.

2. Why do we have to vote on this? The Organizational Act that creates the County's government can be changed in multiple ways depending on what is being changed. Some things require the Board's approval, some the General Assembly, and other parts the voters of the County. To change who runs the meetings and prepares the agenda, requires voter approval.

3. When will this go into effect, if approved? January 1, 2009.

4. What are the issues with having the CEO running the Commission meetings now? The person running the meeting determines who gets to speak, what topics are covered, and other parliamentary matters. In most all other legislative bodies, the person that gets to do that is elected from the body itself. For example, in Congress and the Georgia General Assembly, both the Senate and the House elect who runs the body. DeKalb's current set up is as if the President or Governor was running the meeting.

By making it the Presiding Officer, it ensures that the person running the meeting has the support of a majority of the Board, since they are elected from the members of the Board.

5. What are the issues with having the agenda prepared by the CEO? Currently, members of the Board have to ask the CEO to have something added to the agenda for discussion. If they have a proposal and the CEO is opposed to it, he could deny putting it on the agenda. The next course of action would be for the Board to override the agenda of the CEO, through a majority vote of its members.

While the issue of denying adding an item on an agenda seldom comes up, what has happened in recent years is that "addendums" (or last minute items) keep occurring on the day of the meeting. These items are added without notice, not only to the Board, but more importantly the public. SB 52 will give the Commission the ability to write rules requiring all items be submitted in advance, with exceptions for emergency situations.

6. Doesn’t the Commission already have a Clerk? A unique feature of the current set up is that the Finance Director of DeKalb County also serves as the Ex-officio Clerk to the Board. SB 52 will separate these two responsibilities.

On September 11, 2008, I was honored to present awards to four extraordinary Georgians for their service to veterans. Debbie Lillibridge, Tom Cook, Brian Poole and Commissioner Pete Wheeler were all recognized by the Side by Side Brain Injury Clubhouse for their advocacy on behalf of disabled veterans. I presented the awards to these outstanding public servants at a luncheon at the Holiday Inn Conference Center in Decatur.

Commissioner Wheeler received the Lifetime Achievment Award for his six decades of service. Wheeler served in the Army from 1942 until 1946 and continued to serve in the National Guard until 1976. He joined the Georgia Department of Veteran Service in 1949 and has served there ever since. He has been the Georgia Chairman of the National Veterans Day Committee and was appointed as the Chairman of the National World War II Memorial Advisory Committee.

We have an estimated 200,000 Americans returning from Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom with Traumatic Brain Injuries. We are lucky to have dedicated individuals including those we honored on September 11 working to help these heroes and their families. I am committed to increasing the state funding for programs benefiting our Georgia veterans. It was a privilege to present these awards.

Little League Baseball has a strong tradition in Georgia and teams from our state have enjoyed remarkable success. Georgia's representatives to the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania won in both 2006 and 2007. Little League Baseball teaches sportsmanship and the importance of hard work. More importantly, it provides an excellent way for parents to be actively involved in the lives of their children.

I am very pleased the 2008 Georgia Little League State Championship tournament is being held this year at Flat Shoals Park in the heart of Georgia Senate District 42. Congratulations to the teams who advanced to the state tournament. I was honored to be a part of the opening ceremony last Saturday morning and I look forward to attending the championship game this week. Many thanks to the dozens of volunteers who have worked to ensure the success of this exciting event. In particular, community volunteer and Senate District 42 resident Carolyn Taggart has worked tirelessly for more than six months as the leader of the host committee. Thank you Carolyn.

I am honored to have received the Georgia Emergency Services Star of Life Award in 2008. This is the second consecutive year I have been recognized by Georgia's first responders for my work on trauma care issues. Georgia's rate of avoidable deaths from trauma is too high. If we were at the national average for states, 700 fewer Georgians would die each year. That is why I remain committed to the establishment of a reliable source of revenue to support a state wide trauma care network.