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Our Mission
To educate the citizens of DeKalb County about county governance issues and to advocate for informed citizen engagement.
Latest News
DeKalb legislators and citizens should be concerned about the lack of transparency surrounding the changes being proposed in new SPLOST (Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax) legislation. This important and complex legislation is being rushed and the process lacks transparency.
See our letter to the DeKalb legislative delegation outlining our five areas of concern.
On Monday, February 13, DeKalb CEO Michael Thurmond appeared before the DeKalb House Delegation to speak about proposed legislation to:
- renew the county’s SPLOST and
- remove the existing spending restrictions from the previous SPLOST that ensured the dollars raised from this tax were spent as follows:
- 85% for transportation purposes (roads, streets, bridges, public transit) and public safety facilities and related capital equipment used to support public safety
- 15% for the repair of capital projects
DeKalb taxpayers and our elected Commissioners should not be left out of the discussion. We need to know more about how these funds will be used.
If you agree, we suggest you contact your State Representative and State Senator, Rep. Karla Drenner (chair of the DeKalb House Delegation), Sen. Kim Jackson (chair of the DeKalb Senate Delegation), and, if possible, other members of the Delegation immediately to stop any changes to this bill until public input has been obtained and an accounting of how previous SPLOST funds were used is made public. Their email addresses and fax numbers are available on the Georgia General Assembly’s website.
Who We Are
DeKalb Citizens Advocacy Council (DCAC) is a group of community members from all parts of DeKalb County, Georgia.
Our goal is to educate the citizens of DeKalb County about county governance issues as well as to advocate for informed citizen engagement in local government. We have great concerns about compliance and transparency in county operations and we support legislation to improve both. During the 2019 and 2020 Georgia legislative sessions, for example, we successfully advocated to maintain the independence and strength of the Board of Ethics and the Ethics Officer position.
Our Leadership Team
ANN ABRAMOWITZ
Resident of DeKalb County since 1987
Professor, Emory University
Practices as a clinical psychologist in the community
Unpaid chief of staff to a State Representative who is a member of the DeKalb Delegation. In this capacity, she has worked with the county, city governments, and various community agencies and programs.
RYAN BROWN
Native Atlantan, grew up in DeKalb County/City of Atlanta in the 1990’s
Resident of unincorporated DeKalb County since 2014
More than twelve years of experience working in the federal government
Board Member, Pride Rings in Stone Mountain (PRISM)
Member, Rowland Allgood Durham Circle (RAD) Neighborhood Association
Member, Fountainhead Neighborhood Watch
LYNN GANIM
Resident of DeKalb since 1972
President, Medlock Area Neighborhood Association (MANA)
Member, Civic Association Network (CAN)
MARY HINKEL
Resident of DeKalb County since 1976
President, Mason Mill Civic Association
Former Program Chair, Civic Association Network (CAN)
Member, DeKalb County Charter Review Commission
PAT KILLINGSWORTH
Resident of DeKalb since 1985
Former member and chair, DeKalb County Board of Ethics
Member, Leadership DeKalb
– Board of Directors for four years
Board Member, Citizens of Victoria Estates (COVE)
Member, Civic Association Network (CAN)
Member, Blueprint to Restore DeKalb
Recipient of the 2015 Justice Robert Benham Community Service Award from the Chief Justice’s Commission on Professionalism and the State Bar of Georgia.
CLAUDETTE LEAK
Resident of DeKalb County since 1970
Member, DeKalb County Charter Review Commission
Member, Leadership DeKalb
Member, Columbia Valley Community Association
Member, Restore DeKalb (Communications Chair)
Chair, Concerned Citizens in Opposition to Greenhaven – Advocating for an effective DeKalb County Government
MARTHA PACINI
Resident of DeKalb County since 1978
Education Program, Leadership DeKalb
President, Citizens of Victoria Estates (COVE), the civic association for Victoria Estates
Member, Blueprint DeKalb, sector leader for establishing the office of the independent internal auditor
Task Force Co-Chair, Emory University Alumni Board
Advisory Council, CHRIS 180
TOM WOODWARD
Resident of DeKalb County since 1992 and previously for 4 years
President 2017-18, Fall Festival Chair 2015-16, LaVista Park Civic Association
Executive Committee 2016-17, Board Member 2011-17, Leadership DeKalb
Coalition Member, DeKalb NAACP/DeKalb Remembrance Project
Member, DeKalb History Center
Member, Informed Georgians for Justice
Volunteer, Toco Hills Community Alliance
Our Allies
DCAC is working collaboratively with other DeKalb reform organizations. These organizations currently include:
DeKalb Citizens Advocacy Council is proud to have support from members of the Blueprints to Redefine DeKalb Leadership Team (Blueprints I), citizens who researched best practices, drafted recommendations, and worked with legislators to achieve unanimous passage of the revised DeKalb County Code of Ethics and the new Office of Independent Internal Auditor, both of which were approved by 92% of voters in a 2015 referendum.