10/27/2023
Dunwoody Voters - Please take note of this clarifying message by Mayor Lynn Deutsch regarding our Parks, Trails & Greenspace bond on the November 7th election.
And don't forget that early voting continues at the library. This will be the last weekend to vote before the election.
Monday–Friday (Oct. 16–Nov. 3) from 7 a.m.–7 p.m.
Saturday (Oct. 21 & 28) from 9 a.m.–6 p.m.
Sunday (Oct. 22 & 29) from 12 p.m.–5 p.m.
Good morning. Election season is also known as silly season, when sometimes information is shared that is at a minimum misleading or at worst flat out wrong.
The proposed projects in the Dunwoody Parks and Trails Bond are not new. Over the last 15 years, they have appeared in a variety of Dunwoody Transportation, Parks and/or comprehensive plans. Former Mayor Denny Shortal said, at a recent public meeting, that from the first days of cityhood that East, West, North, South connectivity have been a priority.
When it is time to plan for each segment of the trail, the city will have a robust public engagement process, for both the neighbors and the community. Each segment will not look the same as the other, nor should it. There will be many factors in determining the specific characteristics of a project.
The new amenities proposed for parks, except for the newly popular pickleball, have been priorities in our various park plans. There were many meetings and surveys about Homecoming and Wildcat Parks, including onsite gatherings. Council members and staff spent hours hammering out the details with neighbors. None of these projects was pulled out of a hat.
There are concerns that the wording in the bond is not rigid enough, that Council could use the $60 million as a slush fund. The language protects us from cost overruns, changes in need and market conditions. Imagine finding granite under a place where a field was to be built and the cost of the project skyrocketing? Or pickleball suddenly falling out of favor? It may be necessary to make slight changes to the project which will only happen with a wide-reaching public input process. If we left out this flexibility, under state law, we would have to complete every project regardless of the cost, leaving taxpayers on the hook for any overruns. While this language was required by our legal advisors, it makes good fiscal sense to afford the City some protection.
This language does not allow us to change the use of the funds. We cannot, for example, choose to build a new city hall with the Bond Revenue. We must use the revenues for parks, recreation, greenspace and trails. Despite what someone said, bond revenue cannot be used to give council members raises.
Finally, people have asked me if there is a "Plan B" for funding these capital projects. Currently, there is not. Our revenues are limited and are used to fund the operations of the City. Our home values are frozen, our millage rate is capped and homeowners have a one mil exemption. The average homeowner pays about $400 a year in municipal taxes. SPLOST funds are reserved for paving, road improvements, and public safety equipment. In the past, we were able to use HOST funds for parks, but that is now a credit on your property tax bills.
If you have questions, please reach out to your city council representative or me.
Have a nice weekend.
