Congratulations to the citizens of Brookhaven on the incorporation of your new city! And congratulations to the newly elected officials that will have the opportunity to chart a new course for this vibrant, energetic and diverse area of DeKalb County.
Citizen involvement is vital to the success of a community and Brookhaven is off to a great start. I have particularly been inspired by the exceptional volunteers that have stepped up to help form this new city. From the appointees to the Governors Commission to all of the committee members that have given selflessly of their time, it is evident that Brookhaven has great citizens that will work hard to ensure the success of this young city.
Service delivery is the primary function of any government. And you will quickly come to realize that a city is the best form of government to provide the services that the new city of Brookhaven will offer.
With your incorporation, you now become part of a group of nine other cities in DeKalb County that make up the DeKalb Municipal Association. And with that, you have a great network of others that will be helpful to you as you look for the best way to deliver these services to your constituency.
Whereas cities provide heightened services and more responsive representation, where self determination and self governance are truly the way we work, creating a sense of community is also a wonderful consequence of being served by this very local form of government.
While Chamblee is the center of my universe, you will now have the opportunity to boast that you live, work and play in your own center of the universe, the city of Brookhaven!
Eric Clarkson is the mayor of Chamblee.