ATLANTA – State Representative Viola Davis (D-Stone Mountain) seeks to make constituents aware that a local referendum would be required to change the composition/number of members on the DeKalb County Board of Commissioners. Rep. Davis recently consulted the Georgia General Assembly Office of Legislative Counsel regarding recent efforts to change the county’s super district commission seats and/or add new regular commission seats.
“I have been inundated with calls and emails concerning the DeKalb County Board of Commissioners district map and recent efforts to change the board of commissioners to seven single districts,” said Rep. Davis. “After I was contacted by citizens and asked if such a change would require a referendum, I decided to consult with the General Assembly’s legislative counsel to verify my constituents’ concerns. I want to thank the Office of Legislative Counsel for their insight and for providing an official written response about this matter, which I am happy to share with my constituents.”
In a written response, the deputy legislative counsel stated that a local referendum would be required to change the number of members, terms of office or the manner of electing the members of the governing body of DeKalb County, which is the county’s board of commissioners. A local redistricting bill that attempts to change the board from five regular district commissioners and two super district commissioners to seven regular district commissioners would be a law changing the manner of electing members of the governing body of DeKalb County. Similarly, a local redistricting bill that attempts to provide for seven regular district commissioners and two super district commissioners would be considered a law changing the number of members of the governing body of DeKalb County.
Additionally, the letter from the Office of Legislative Counsel highlighted that a law changing either the size or manner of electing the DeKalb County Board of Commissioners could not be implemented for this year’s elections due to certain date requirements.
In 1981, the DeKalb County Board of Commissioners was originally established and consisted of five district commissioners and two commissioners elected at large by the voters of the entire county. In 1992, local residents approved a local referendum to replace the two at-large commissioners with two super districts that each have one commissioner.
*Editor’s Note: The letter from the Georgia General Assembly Office of Legislative Counsel is attached.
Representative Viola Davis represents the citizens of District 87, which includes portions of DeKalb County. She was elected to the House of Representatives in 2018 and currently serves on the Natural Resources & Environment, Insurance, Interstate Cooperation and Science and Technology committees.
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