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NOVEMBER 2019 • VOL. 10 — NO. 11
Dunwoody Reporter Perimeter Business
Old-school bowling rolls on at Funtime Bowl
City’s $39.5M budget comes with tax break concerns
Celebrating Halloween on the Farm
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AROUND TOWN
BY DYANA BAGBY dyanabagby@reporternewspapers.net
Meet Troop 398, where girls take charge in what used to be Boy Scouts
Amy Sahar, a sixth-grader at Peachtree Middle, blows bubbles on the carefree day. More photos on page 28 ►
PHIL MOSIER
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Imagine your husband’s just been elected mayor of a very young city. You have a role, but no script. No one knows what to expect of you. Including you. As Mayor Denis Shortal prepares to end his 11 years of service to the city of Dunwoody, I spent some time with Meredy Shortal, who has been a very visible First Lady, to hear how she figured it all out. When I asked her how she felt when her husband announced he wouldn’t run for an-
Carol Niemi is a marketing consultant who lives on the Dunwoody-Sandy Springs line and writes about people whose lives inspire others. Contact her at worthknowingnow@gmail.com.
other term, she said, “My first thought was, ‘Good thing I haven’t cut the tags off all those new clothes I just bought.’” Called a Doris Day lookalike in her college days, she sees herself now as a cross beCarol Niemi is a marketing consultant who lives on the DunwoodySandy Springs line and writes about people whose lives inspire others. Contact her at worthknowingnow@gmail.com.
See DUNWOODY on page 30
The City Council approved a “tight” $39.5 million budget at its Oct. 28 meeting, as concerns about slowing revenue growth due in part to homeowner tax breaks are being raised by some city leaders. The budget also sets aside $50,000 to mitigate the state’s plans to build elevated toll lanes on the top end of I-285 adjacent to the Georgetown community. The city retains its 2.74 millage rate in the budget, which includes $25.6 million in the general fund for day-to-day operations. More than 30% of general fund revenue comes from property taxes, but that revenue flow is slowing due to exemptions and money to run the city is becoming tighter, according to Assistant City Manager Jay Vinicki. “We are no longer in the land where we can count on 3% or 4% or 5% growth,” he told the council at its Oct. 14 meeting. “This budget has 1.2% growth [just over $23,000] in it … and other categories of revenue have limited room for growth.” Other categories include business licenses and franchise fees. The city also built in $50,000 in the city attorney’s budget to use for professional services for the Georgia Department of Transportation’s planned I-285 top end toll lanes See CITY on page 31
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