Burrell Ellis facts for kids

W. Burrell Ellis Jr. is an American lawyer and politician. He used to be the political director for the ACLU of Georgia. He also served as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of DeKalb County, Georgia.

Early Life and Education

Burrell Ellis was born on November 22, 1957, in Washington, D.C. He later moved to Silver Spring, Maryland.

After finishing high school, Ellis studied economics and finance at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. While there, he joined the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity. He then earned a law degree from The University of Texas at Austin. During his time at the University of Texas, he was chosen to be the student body president.

After law school, Ellis moved to Atlanta. He volunteered for different political campaigns while starting his own law practice.

Career Before Public Office

Before becoming the CEO of DeKalb County, Ellis worked as a lawyer for over 20 years. He mainly focused on real estate development. In 2017, he joined the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Georgia. He worked there as their political director.

Serving on the DeKalb County Board of Commissioners

When Commissioner Ken Davis decided not to run again, Burrell Ellis chose to run for his seat. In November 2000, Ellis won the election. He represented the fourth district of DeKalb County. He was reelected in 2004.

During his time as a commissioner, Ellis was the presiding officer five times. He helped make big changes to how the board worked. This made sure that the government was open and clear about its decisions. He also helped create a law to support small businesses. Another important law he supported was Georgia's first Clean Indoor Air Ordinance. This law helped protect people from second-hand smoke.

While on the commission, Ellis also led the Large Urban County Caucus. This group is part of the National Association of Counties. It represents the interests of the 100 biggest cities and counties in the U.S. to Congress and the president.

Chief Executive Officer of DeKalb County

Ellis gives his 2010 State of the County speech.

Burrell Ellis became the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of DeKalb County in 2009. In his first year, he reorganized the county government. He grouped departments into units like development, public safety, and administration.

When the economy slowed down, county income decreased. Ellis cut spending in many county offices. He also suggested ways to save money in other parts of the county government. Even with these changes, he sometimes had to raise property taxes.

In February 2011, Ellis announced that DeKalb County had cut more spending than any other local government in the Atlanta area. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (AJC) checked this claim. They found that DeKalb County had indeed cut its budget by $107 million, which was 17 percent. This was more than any other place in metro Atlanta.

Ellis worked to give citizens a stronger voice in county government. He wanted to involve communities more in decisions. Here are some things he did:

• He started a program called Our Neighborhood Empowerment (ONE). This program helped bring the government closer to residents. ONE helped people solve problems and volunteer for community projects.
• He created the DeKalb County Code Enforcement Task Force. This group worked to fix issues with county rules and regulations.
• He launched the Revenue Enhancement Commission (REC). This group looked for new ways to bring in money for the county, besides taxes.
• He also created the Green Commission. This group worked to make DeKalb County more environmentally friendly. They developed plans for sustainable practices.

In July 2012, Ellis became the president of the County Executives of America. This group represents county leaders across the country. They work with the federal government to make sure counties' needs are heard.

A Difficult Time and Legal Process

During his time as CEO, Burrell Ellis faced some serious accusations. These accusations were about how the county's water department was managed.

In 2012, a group was formed to look into these accusations. After an investigation, Ellis was accused of wrongdoing in 2013. He was temporarily suspended from his job. Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal appointed Commissioner Lee May to serve as interim CEO.

In July 2015, Ellis was found guilty of some charges. He was sentenced to time in jail and probation.

However, in November 2016, the Supreme Court of Georgia made an important decision. They ruled that Ellis did not get a fair trial. The court said he was not allowed to show certain evidence that could have helped his case. Because of this, his conviction was reversed. This meant the guilty verdict was overturned. The District Attorney decided not to try the case again.

In April 2017, the DeKalb Board of Commissioners voted to pay Ellis back for his legal costs. This amount was $1.1 million. He also received $223,000 in back pay for the time he was suspended.

Images for kids

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  Ellis gives his 2010 State of the County speech.