LAST WEEK: SHOULD TAX DOLLARS GO TO DEVELOPING THE GM SITE OR DEKALB SCHOOLS?

Despite a move by the DeKalb County school system to keep developers of the former General Motors site in Doraville from receiving tax incentives they say will take away education dollars, plans are moving forward to build a multi-use complex on the abandoned site. The Doraville Downtown Development Authority voted recently to award incentives worth 35 percent of the site’s annual property tax bill for the next 30 years. Those tax breaks cut into the school system’s current and future tax revenue. And school system leaders have gone on record saying they don’t want to commit educational resources to a business prospect. But economic development officials say the project will bring thousands of jobs and help reshape the city of Doraville for the benefit of the public. The plans call for a MARTA concourse that will increase ridership and an influx of residential units, developers said. Supporters of the project say they hope the school system and the county will come to a mutually acceptable agreement. We asked readers if offering tax incentives is a good way to attract a much-needed development that will be a wise investment in the future, or will that plan divert funds away from educating children who are also an investment in the future. Here’s what some readers had to say: While it is too simplistic to state that an excellent public education system will remedy all community economic and social problems, a main factor common with healthy and prospering communities is an excellent public education system. — Donald F. Yates I think the question is are we investing in the near future or the short term . ... There needs to be more concrete solutions put in place before either decision goes through. —Tony Jones I’m tired of driving past that eyesore on I-285, but I don’t want the kids to suffer. I guess I didn’t really answer the question. That just shows how difficult it is to decide. — Amy Johnson DIONNE KINCH FOR THE AJC