WSB Channel 2 News Coverage of CEO Burrell Ellis' State of the County Address 2012

WSB's news coverage of DeKalb County CEO, Burrell Ellis' 2012 State of the County Address

Additional Information:
January 5, 2012

CEO Burrell Ellis Defines Role of Morality in Governance

DECATUR -- DeKalb County Chief Executive Officer Burrell Ellis utilized his 2012 State of the County Address to key business leaders as a call for a unified ONE DeKalb, a pledge to champion the Regional Transportation Referendum, and to define the role of morality in local government in the 21st century.

Speaking to an audience of more than 500 business and civic leaders at the Thalia N. Carlos Hellenic Community Center in Atlanta, CEO Ellis announced the new collaborative initiatives of ONE DeKalb Volunteers and ONE DeKalb Votes. "We must do a better job of getting our citizens registered and out to vote. Not only do we have much at stake in the Transportation Referendum in July, but we must re-elect our President in November," said CEO Ellis. "In line with our ONE DeKalb Votes initiative, I will venture into every community in this county to discuss the importance of voting and registering new voters. Because as DeKalb County goes, so goes the State of Georgia!"

CEO Ellis noted that ONE DeKalb Volunteers have already given 500,000 hours of service to DeKalb County, at a labor cost savings of $11 million.

CEO Ellis also called for collaboration with state lawmakers to change the laws that govern the creation of new cities. "Under the current law, cityhood not only drives up the cost to those citizens who embrace this option, it also places an undue tax burden on those who are outside of arbitrarily-drawn boundaries and have no say in the process," said CEO Ellis.

CEO Ellis reflected that the moral role of present day local government is to prioritize services to those who most need protection, including the young, the old, the sick, and the handicapped.

"As we listen to the people and make their priorities the priority of their government, we are passing the moral test," said CEO Ellis. "We are listening, responding to the needs of our citizens and answering the highest calling of government."

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News & Politics

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• DeKalb
• County
• Georgia
• CEO
• Burrell
• Ellis
• DCTV
• Channel 23
• State of the County
• SOC
• ONE DeKalb