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County government attorney: DeKalb’s organizational act is "like a constitution"
Summary
A presenter described the DeKalb County Organizational Act as the foundational charter, traced major changes (1956 formation, 1981 CEO shift, 1988 presiding officer, 1999 court ruling) and explained how that structure shapes who runs operations and who makes laws.
A presenter at a DeKalb County government session told attendees the county's "organizational act" serves as the foundational document for county government, saying, "It's really like the constitution for DeKalb." The overview traced the county's governance back to a 1956 establishment by the General Assembly and highlighted a major structural shift in 1981 when DeKalb adopted a CEO form of government.
The presenter described subsequent changes that shaped current practice: a 1988 General Assembly action that removed the CEO from presiding over commission meetings and created a presiding officer and deputy for the commission, and a 1999 court dispute that clarified the relationship between the CEO and the commission. On the 1999 dispute the presenter said the case "stated they are not equal" and noted it was a seminal point in the organizational act's evolution.
Why it matters: the presenter emphasized that the organizational act defines what the legislative body (the commission) may do and what the CEO executes. "The commission passes resolutions. They pass ordinances. They really write what's often referred to as your code," the presenter said, then contrasted that with the organizational act as the foundation. The article summarizes the presenter's account of the act's role and historical amendments so residents can better understand which office carries operational responsibility and which crafts policy.
