The Organizational Act or “Charter” is the document establishing the governmental structure of the DeKalb County. It defines the specific powers, functions, and essential procedures of county government.

The DeKalb County governing authority consists of two branches: an Executive branch (CEO/Administration) and a Legislative branch (Board of Commissioners). DeKalb is the only county in Georgia with this type of government, although there are other counties in the United States operating with a similar binary structure.

In 2019 CEO Michael Thurmond created a charter review commission through executive order to examine the DeKalb County form of government. Seventeen citizens, selected by the CEO, the Board of Commissioners, and the State Legislative Delegation were to serve on the commission. Due to the Pandemic, the Charter Review Commission’s work did not begin until June 2022 and only 15 members were appointed to serve.

This part of the DeKalb Citizens website contains essential documents related to the Charter Commission’s work. Of note, two members of DeKalb Citizens were appointed to serve on the Charter Commission. To learn more about the background, click here.