DeKalb County has continually operated as one of the more progressive, efficient, and accountable governments in the state of Georgia, largely because the person charged with day-to-day management is elected by the people he or she serves and must answer directly to those very same people. On November 4, 2008, W. Burrell Ellis, Jr. was elected Chief Executive Officer of DeKalb County and took office January 1, 2009.

Governmental Structure

DeKalb County Government is administered by a full-time Chief Executive Officer. Additionally, legislative policy is set by a seven member Board of Commissioners. The Chief Executive Officer is elected county-wide and the Commissioners are each elected by district. The Chief Executive and the Commissioners serve four-year staggered terms. The Commissioners elect one member each year to serve as Presiding Officer.

The Chief Executive Officer has the exclusive power to supervise, direct, and control the administration of County Government. The Board of Commissioners’ primary responsibilities are to adopt an annual budget and to levy a tax rate and service charge structure sufficient to balance the budget; to rule on requests to rezone property; and to adopt and amend the County Code.

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