Stonecrest resident says Citizens Academy clarified city vs. county roles and connected neighbors

Latonya DeBruce, a Stonecrest resident, told a City of Stonecrest meeting during public comment that the city’s Citizens Academy helped her learn how municipal and DeKalb County responsibilities differ and how local resources are allocated.

"What I thought about Citizens Academy was that it was a great opportunity for me to be able to come and learn a little bit more about how the City of Stonecrest resources are being allocated," DeBruce said. She added that the city manager "was able to clear those differences up for me," and that "every department was very informative, very enthusiastic, and very engaged in wanting community members to be a part of the future happenings here in Stonecrest."

DeBruce said the program offered networking opportunities and updates on construction and other projects in her area. She recommended the Citizens Academy to neighbors and said she was disappointed when she was told the meeting she attended was the series' last session: "I was kinda disappointed towards the end when I was told it was the last meeting. It had become a weekly routine of coming to the meetings and learning about the different departments."

Other attendees identified themselves after speaking; names recorded in the transcript include Nicole Brown, Shari Chatter, Angelita, and Gia Scruggs, the City of Stonecrest city manager. The transcript did not record formal city action, funding details for the Citizens Academy, or a schedule for future sessions.