DeKalb candidates attack, defend CEO

By Sierra Brown
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 06/27/08

The main subject of Thursday night's forum for candidates who want to be the next DeKalb County chief executive officer was a person who didn't show up and isn't even running: current CEO Vernon Jones.

With the exception of Ann Kimbrough, his chief of staff, the contenders criticized Jones' record on everything from the water supply to public safety. And they promised change.

Kimbrough defended the administration's record and said she would build on it.

The other candidates are: Joe Bembry, an automotive towing business owner; county Commissioner Burrell Ellis; former state Sen. Steen Miles (D-Decatur); and state Rep. Stan Watson (D-Decatur). Watson did not attend.

Bembry described a recent encounter with a police officer who told him there were seven officers on his shift when there should have been 18. "I feel like this county is on the course of deterioration," the candidate said.

Ellis criticized the way the county handled the loss of water pressure Sunday after the power went out at the main water treatment plant. He said every phone number he dialed, including the expensive new 311 information line, went unanswered.

"I spent an hour and a half trying to find out what was going on," Ellis said.

Miles slammed the Jones administration's handling of taxpayer dollars as highlighted in recent audits. She said that her administation "won't steal, won't lie. We will be good stewards of your tax dollars."

Kimbrough said Jones had run a "lean, mean government." She said Ellis should have helped resolve Sunday's crisis and added that she called Georgia Power Co. and asked it to restore electric service.

She said she supports a multimillion-dollar proposal by police Chief Terrell Bolton to expand the police force and that "the foundation has been laid for a great county."

All the candidates are Democrats, so the outcome of the election will be decided by the July 15 primary or by a runoff three weeks later.

The forum, at the old courthouse in Decatur, was sponsored by the Champion newspaper and the DeKalb History Center.

—- Staff writer Ty Tagami contributed to this article.