CEO pledges work on infrastructure

DeKalb CEO Mike Thur- mond said the top priorities of his tenure will be updating the county’s crumbling water and sewer system and expanding public transpor- tation.

In his 2018 State of the County address, delivered in front of more than 300 business leaders, Thur- mond spoke up his accomplishments and outlined his vision.

That his speech was made at Stone Mountain Park, a place that once stood as a symbol of racial animosity, made the moment special, he said. Thurmond noted people from different industries and political leanings had packed into a ballroom to hear him, the first black member of the Stone Mountain Memorial Association.

“A new day has downed in DeKalb County, and a new day has dawned in Stone Mountain, Georgia,” he said during Wednesday’s ticketed luncheon hosted by the Council for Quality Growth and the DeKalb Chamber of Commerce.

Thurmond joked about putting an end to smelly sanitation spills and later praised workers for the speedy repair of a busted 48-inch water main on Buford Highway. He said the county is working to meet the requirements of the consent decree with federal and state officials.

“We have $78 million a lready contracted in work that will improve and upgrade our sewer system over the next two years,” the CEO said.

Thurmond said he supports efforts at the state level to expand access to public transportation, but complained that not all of DeKalb has benefited equally from its investment in MARTA over nearly 50 years.

“We are proud that we are the backbone of MARTA, but MARTA has not treated south DeKalb fairly,” he said.

During the speech, Thurmond touted highlights from his first 15 months in office, such as increasing the budget surplus, removing of tons of litter and debris and hiring staff to investigate high water bills. He also praised first responders for bringing attention to DeKalb during emergencies like the Avondale Forest Apartments fire.