DeKalb County School District v. DeKalb County

Fletcher, Justice,

concurring.

This case illustrates once again why the various branches of local government should work together in a spirit of cooperation to accomplish the greatest good for the taxpayers without needless waste of public funds. See Atlanta Bd. of Education v. City of Atlanta, 262 Ga. 15 (413 SE2d 716) (1992); City of Atlanta v. Collins, 262 Ga. 261 (417 SE2d 141) (1992); and City of Roswell v. City of Atlanta, 261 Ga. 657 (410 SE2d 28) (1991). Here, the taxes which support both parties are derived from the same source, the citizens of DeKalb *883County. Upon these same citizens is cast the burden of attorney fees and expenses of litigation of both parties in this action. In my 25 years of local government representation in rural northwest Georgia, I observed a strong spirit of cooperation between school boards, cities, counties and authorities, with the ultimate beneficiary of such cooperation being the local citizens. Government in metropolitan areas would do well to emulate such cooperation.

Decided February 28, 1994. Weekes & Candler, Gary M. Sams, Joyner & Burnette, Mark G. Burnette, for appellants. Robert E. Wilson, District Attorney, Johnson & Montgomery, Albert S. Johnson, for appellee.