CHALLENGE
Densely populated and 85% unincorporated, DeKalb County Government keeps property taxes low while delivering several ‘city services’ for more than 700,000 residents. But when politically-motivated activists formed Citizens for Dunwoody to cede from the county (and take many of its resources with them), DeKalb was forced into action. The Citizens campaign offered Senate Bill 82 during the 2007 legislative session, which would use a referendum to disenfranchise hundreds of thousands of voters while diverting $15 million annually from DeKalb. It would also add another layer of government and sell county property for pennies on the dollar – all while raising taxes. DeKalb County Government needed to organize business and community leaders to speak out against SB 82, which would raise property taxes, affect public school attendance, and hurt the quality of life for thousands of residents.

SOLUTION
Influence Factory designed a multi-pronged campaign for legislative advocacy entitled Move DeKalb Forward. We worked with county staff to research the legislative implications and craft arguments most likely to resonate with elected officials and voters. We monitored media coverage and offered counterpoints to negative stories, while authoring opinion pieces signed by community and business leaders. We also organized opposition to Citizens across a number of legislative bodies, including the DeKalb delegation and county commission. Specifically, Move DeKalb Forward:

• Built a countywide coalition uniting hundreds of voting residents and several organizations
• Mobilized hundreds of petition signatures, emails and telephone calls to legislative offices
• Recruited respected leaders and subject matter experts to offer testimony at legislative hearings
• Authored and placed 9 articles supporting the county’s position in local print media, including the Atlanta-Journal Constitution and Dunwoody Crier

RESULTS
Move DeKalb Forward generated enough political pressure to see SB 82 voted down on the final day of the 2007 legislative session – amid repeated attempts by its sponsor to muster votes. The campaign also spurred state lawmakers to form a study group and analyze several unresolved issues. DeKalb County saved millions in taxpayer dollars as residents continued to enjoy excellent service and one of Georgia’s lowest tax rates. (NOTE – This project was not reauthorized for the 2008 legislative session, where SB 82 was voted out of the Senate, signed by the governor and approved by voters in the July 15th primary election.)

Dunwoody Referendum Defeated
http://dunwoodynorth.blogspot.com/2008/01/city-of-dunwoody-referendum-defeated-in.html