Rep. Michele Henson. Source: Facebook

Georgia House Rep. Michele Henson, D-Stone Mountain, released a statement Friday afternoon further explaining the proposed city of Winship.

In an emailed statement she said:

There have been questions about this particular legislation that Representative Karla Drenner and I have introduced. We introduced HB 612 because many residents in our districts have reached out about their concerns and unhappiness with the proposed incorporations and annexations in DeKalb County. HB 612 is simply another option for the residents of DeKalb.”

I oppose the proposed annexation as introduced by the City of Atlanta, and my concerns stem from how the 2,500 DeKalb students and their schools will be affected. I believe the proposed annexation, as designed, will cause a major disruption in our school system.

Currently, an official map has not been issued but is presently in discussion, and does NOT include areas from the proposed cities of LaVista Hills, Tucker or Stonecrest.

Henson also said there has not been a financial feasibility study done yet for the bill, but, “we hope HB 612 shows that there are possible options that do not impact the relationship between our schools and county. “

In a joint statement released by Henson and Drenner earlier this week, Drenner said the legislation is “the beginning of a dialogue.”