Commissioner Nancy Jester: DeKalb County – A Broken Government In Disarray | The Brookhaven Post | Brookhaven, GA

A broken government in disarray.

That is not just the perception, it is our reality. It is time for both elected and appointed officials in DeKalb County to accept this, admit this, and demonstrate we have the will to change this.

Those who say the perception is worse than the reality are part of the problem – not the positive solution.

In just the past few days DeKalb County taxpayers have witnessed media reports highlighting the following:

Federal prosecutors issuing a subpoena to DeKalb County seeking records on Zoning Board of Appeals Chairman Darryl Jennings, Sr. and a pool hall at the center of a bribery scandal.

A former DeKalb County police officer indicted on charges that he violated his oath of office by taking bribes.

Media reports that of the 11 officials and vendors mentioned in the blockbuster Special Purpose Grand Jury report, in addition to Burrell Ellis, none has come to criminal prosecution and there is a possibility the statute of limitations will expire.

And, the issue of the now infamous $4,000 payment from a DeKalb County vendor, which could have been graft, theft – or a setup to embarrass a high-ranking official.

J. Tom Morgan, a former DeKalb County District Attorney has stated, “This is just the tip of an iceberg, is my best guess.”

I fear Mr. Morgan may be correct. The true victims of our broken government in disarray are the taxpayers – the working men and women of DeKalb County who love our county, love their families, and try to do the right thing by going to work, obeying the law, and paying the very taxes that fund DeKalb County government.

Others are breaking what they are building – and it must stop.

I told WSB TV and the Atlanta Journal: “We can’t just keep depending on reform by scandal and reform by indictment.”