Responsibilities

The commission has the power and authority to fix and establish policies, rules and regulations governing all matters reserved to its jurisdiction by the DeKalb County Organizational Act. The following powers are granted to the Commission by Section 9 of the Organizational Act:

1. To levy taxes.
2. To make appropriations.
3. To fix the rates of all other charges.
4. To authorize the incurring of indebtedness.
5. To authorize work to be done where the cost is to be assessed against the benefited property and to fix the basis for such assessment.
6. To establish, alter, or abolish public roads, private ways, bridges and ferries.
7. To establish, abolish, or change election precincts and militia districts.
8. To allow the insolvent lists for the county.
9. To authorize the acceptance for the county of the provisions of any optional statute where the statute permits its acceptance by the governing authority of a county.
10. To regulate land use by the adoption of a comprehensive development plan and by the adoption of other planning and zoning ordinances which relate reasonably to the public health, safety, morality and general welfare of the county and its citizens; provided, however, no planning or zoning ordinance shall become law unless approved by the member of the commission representing the district in which the subject property is located, or by one (1) of the members of the commission elected from the county at large.
11. To create and change the boundaries of special taxing districts authorized by law.
12. To fix the bonds of county officers where same are not fixed by statute.
13. To enact any ordinances or other legislation the county has authority to enact.
14. To determine the priority of capital improvements.
15. To call elections for the voting of bonds.
16. Except as modified by the powers vested in the chief executive by other provisions of this act, to exercise the power and authority vested by law in the judge of the probate court when sitting for county purposes.
17. Except as modified by the powers vested in the chief executive by other provisions of this act, to exercise the powers now or hereafter vested in county governing authorities by the constitution and general laws of this state.
18. To fix, levy and assess business license fees.
19. To adopt rules regulating the operation of the commission.
20. To prepare an agenda for meetings of the commission.

Additionally, the commission may adopt all such ordinances or regulations as it may deem advisable, not in conflict with the general laws of this state and of the United States, for the governing and policing of the county for the purpose of protecting and preserving the health, safety, welfare, and morals of the citizens of the county and for the implementation and enforcement of the powers and duties of the commission. The commission is hereby authorized to adopt ordinances prescribing penalties and punishment for violation of any and all ordinances adopted by the commission to carry out any of the provisions of this section or other provisions of this Act or of any other law, except that in no event shall the maximum punishment exceed a fine of $1,000.00, imprisonment in the county jail for 30 days, or labor on the work gang for any single offense, or any combination thereof; provided, however, that for violations of a pretreatment standard or requirement adopted pursuant to the federal Clean Water Act the maximum fine shall be $1,000.00 per day for each violation by an industrial user.