DeKalb County is taking roughly 60 neglected commercial properties to task under its new blight tax, with 10 cases headed to court and the enforcement tool applying countywide, including along retail corridors in Dunwoody and Brookhaven.
CEO Lorraine Cochran-Johnson announced the enforcement push Tuesday, July 21, at a press conference at the Manuel J. Maloof Center in Decatur. She was flanked by senior officials and code compliance officers from the county's dedicated blight task force.
"Either invest in your properties, or let's move them along to someone who will," Cochran-Johnson said.
A commercial property assessed at $350,000 that normally owes about $7,500 in county property taxes would owe $75,000 if a judge declares it blighted. The elevated rate stays in place until the owner corrects violations.
The DeKalb County Board of Commissioners approved the blight tax legislation in November 2025. Enforcement began May 10, 2026. Code compliance officers investigate properties and present evidence to judges. Only a judge can declare a property blighted, and owners retain the right to appeal before any tax increase takes effect.
How DeKalb compares
DeKalb is not the first local government to try a blight tax. Stone Mountain approved one in 2021, and Tucker followed in 2024. The city of Atlanta passed its own version in 2024 with a 25-times multiplier, more than double DeKalb's rate. But as of May 2026, Atlanta had not collected any revenue from its blight tax, according to Atlanta Civic Circle.
Cochran-Johnson drew a contrast at the July 21 press conference: "We're not 60 days in, and we have a blight task force. We have 10 cases under review with an additional 50 pending."
What it means locally
County officials declined to identify which properties are under investigation. They noted that empty and neglected buildings are a common sight in south DeKalb around Glenwood and Candler roads. But the ordinance applies countywide, meaning commercial properties along Ashford-Dunwoody Road, Buford Highway, and in Dunwoody Village fall under the same authority.
Buford Highway's vacancy challenges are well documented. In January, economic development consultant Geoff Koski of KB Advisory Group told Brookhaven council members that "big ideas for Buford Highway" have been "held back because the market hasn't been showing up." The council adopted a redevelopment plan for the corridor at its January 27 work session.
Brookhaven Council member John Funny, whose district includes Buford Highway, said at that same session that the corridor "has a lot of vacant lots and a lot of opportunities for redevelopment and/or new development" and that he is "very concerned about how that happens."
No court hearing dates for the 10 pending blight cases have been announced. Property owners who receive notice can contest the designation through judicial review.
