Druid Hills / Candler Park: Ghost Tours, Juneteenth, and Big Votes in City Hall

Hey, Druid Hills and Candler Park! A few things are worth your attention before the weekend. The ALT3R drag troupe is launching ghost tours through Little 5 Points starting Thursday, and Atlanta City Council is set to vote Monday on the FY2027 budget and property tax rates that will hit your bill directly. Read on — there's a lot happening close to home.

- News — Drag troupe ALT3R brings ghost tours to L5P, World Cup watch parties keep multiplying, and a Fulton Commission runoff is now orbiting your property tax bill.
- Events — Head west towards the Beltline for the Juneteenth Block Party and the Old Fourth Ward Spring Arts Festival
- Government — Atlanta City Council votes Monday on the FY2027 budget and tax rates, DeKalb extended its data center ban, and Ponce de Leon roundabouts are officially in motion.
- Construction — A commercial buildout is taking shape on Euclid Ave, a $95K basement finish landed on Clifton Rd, and bridge maintenance on Ponce over Lullwater Creek is on the near horizon.

Let's dive in.

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NEWS

ALT3R drag queens to host ghost tours through Little 5 Points
Little 5 Points has always had a certain otherworldly energy — now it's officially on the itinerary. Award-winning drag troupe ALT3R, led by performers Hera Kane, Katrina Prowess, and Minty, will guide tours through the neighborhood's legends, mysteries, and history every Friday and Saturday from June 19 through July 18. For Candler Park and Druid Hills residents looking for a genuinely memorable summer night out, this one's right on your doorstep.

World Cup Atlanta: Additional watch parties in metro Atlanta
Atlanta's historic World Cup summer keeps generating reasons to get out of the house, with local organizers announcing additional community watch parties across the metro area. If your couch has seen enough action and you want to catch the matches somewhere with a real crowd, this rundown of options is worth a look.

Atlanta's tax extension plan becomes issue in Fulton Commission chair runoff
The Fulton County Commission chair runoff just got more consequential for local homeowners. Atlanta's proposed tax extensions have moved to the center of the race, meaning the outcome could directly shape property tax burdens and how infrastructure dollars get spent in neighborhoods like ours — reason enough to pay close attention between now and Election Day.

EVENTS | Presented by

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Monday, June 15
- CPNO Monthly Meeting June | Candler Park
- Story Time | Fernbank Museum of Natural History
- Atlanta Run Club: Monday Night Runs | Ponce City Market

Tuesday, June 16
- Cowboy Junkies | Variety Playhouse
- Live Animal Encounter | Fernbank Museum of Natural History
- BeltATL June Meet-Up: Eastside Beltline | Pour Taproom-Beltline

Wednesday, June 17
- Dino Talk | Fernbank Museum of Natural History
- Amy Grant | Eddie's Attic
- Wednesday Walk & Talk | Woodlands Garden
- Volunteer Project | Woodlands Garden
- Is This House Still Serving You? | Decatur Parks and Recreation
- Spyro Gyra | City Winery Atlanta
- Planning for Single Professionals | 450 E Lake Dr

Thursday, June 18
- Live Animal Encounter | Fernbank Museum of Natural History
- Summer Solstice Artwalk | Downtown Decatur
- Mike Walton Presents: "A Love Supreme" John Coltrane's 100th Birthday | Eddie’s Attic
- Singing Workshop in the Pavilion – June | Woodlands Garden
- Boozy Bingo | The Reading Room
- Sustainable Landscaping Volunteer Day | Legacy Park
- Cabbagetown Concert Series | Cabbagetown Neighborhood Improvement Association
- Food & Street Art Tour on the Atlanta Beltline | 99 Krog St NE

Friday, June 19
- Morning Hike | Fernbank Museum of Natural History
- Juneteenth Block Party at Marcus Bar & Grille | Marcus Bar & Grille
- Juneteenth at Finally, Friday | Oakland Cemetery
- We Shall All Be Free: A Spirited Juneteenth Tour | Oakland Cemetery

Saturday, June 20
- Old Fourth Ward Spring Arts Festival | Historic Fourth Ward Park
- Josh Gray | AAFFM
- Meet a Ranger | Fernbank Museum of Natural History
- Live Animal Encounter | Fernbank Museum of Natural History

Sunday, June 21
- Family Nature Walk | Fernbank Museum of Natural History
- Dino Talk | Fernbank Museum of Natural History

GOVERNMENT

Note: our information comes from posted meetings documents (agendas and minutes when available) — latest source document hyperlinked to each meeting.

Past Week Roundup

DeKalb County Board of Education

The DeKalb County School District held its second public hearing on the proposed millage rate on June 11, giving homeowners a formal opportunity to weigh in before the school board sets next year's property tax rate. The millage rate determines how much property owners pay toward school funding, so any change hits residents directly on their tax bills. No formal vote on the rate was taken at this session — the hearing was designed for community input only, and a final adoption decision is expected at a future meeting. Residents who didn't attend this hearing should watch for the next scheduled session if they want to comment before a rate is locked in.

DeKalb County Board of Commissioners

The DeKalb County Board of Commissioners had a full week, with a regular session on June 9 (minutes available) and a town hall on June 10 (agenda only). At the June 9 meeting, commissioners voted to extend the countywide moratorium on new data centers by 100 days — pushing the ban through September 30, 2026 — to give planning staff time to finalize new zoning regulations governing where and how data centers can be built in the county. Two pocketbook items that residents have been watching closely — proposed increases to stormwater utility fees and residential sanitation and landfill tipping fees — were both deferred to June 23, meaning no rate hikes were adopted yet. On the positive side for local drivers, the board approved resolutions backing state-designed roundabouts on Ponce de Leon Avenue and Clairmont Road to improve traffic flow and intersection safety, and commissioners also signed off on a $3.7 million SPLOST-funded contract for roof repairs at multiple county public health facilities. Looking ahead, the June 10 town hall was scheduled to formally present those same stormwater and sanitation fee proposals to the public — but as only the agenda is available, whether that presentation took place as planned or any public comment was formally recorded has not been confirmed.

Atlanta City Council — Finance/Executive Committee

The Atlanta Finance/Executive Committee moved several consequential items forward at its June 10 meeting, starting with a 6-0 recommendation to approve the city's Fiscal Year 2027 proposed budget and set the ad valorem millage rates that will determine what Atlanta property owners pay across the general levy, parks, bonded debt, and special service districts including the BeltLine. The committee also unanimously advanced a sweeping "Neighborhood Investment" ordinance that would extend the sunset dates of select Tax Allocation Districts and create the new Atlanta Neighborhood Reinvestment Initiative Trust Fund, directing those dollars toward affordable housing, community stabilization, and small business support. A multi-property annexation on Woodland Avenue NE was approved unanimously, adding those homes to Atlanta's city limits and the Atlanta Independent School System, while proposed annexations elsewhere in the city were held for further review. The committee also unanimously forwarded — without a formal recommendation — a proposed ordinance that would establish new consumer protection rules for commercial parking garages, including rate disclosure requirements and dispute resolution processes, leaving the final call to the full City Council.

Atlanta City Council — Transportation Committee

Atlanta's Transportation Committee covered a wide range of street-level quality-of-life issues at its June 10 meeting, approving a slate of measures with direct impact on how residents move through the city. In a win for pedestrian safety, the committee unanimously approved new legislation requiring contractors to provide safe, clearly marked temporary walkways whenever construction blocks an existing sidewalk — a measure that addresses a persistent frustration in rapidly developing neighborhoods. The committee also approved a ban on commercial cut-through truck traffic in the historic Cabbagetown neighborhood and secured residential-only parking restrictions on Lakeview Avenue NE, both responding to longstanding community requests. On the funding side, the committee greenlit more than $9.3 million in street resurfacing investments — including a $6 million GDOT grant and a $3.3 million contract with Blount Construction — while two high-profile projects, a Peachtree Street corridor improvement and a proposal for dedicated bike lanes along the BeltLine, remained stalled in committee for further review.

Atlanta City Council — Community Development/Human Services Committee

The Atlanta Community Development/Human Services Committee had one of its busiest sessions of the year on June 9, approving a $7.86 million acquisition of nearly 30 acres on Randall Mill Road NW to be preserved permanently as forested land — a significant investment in the city's tree canopy funded through the Tree Trust and Park Millage funds. The committee also unanimously approved a resolution requesting a blight tax penalty on the owners of a neglected Midtown commercial property, an anti-blight tool the city can use to pressure owners of deteriorating sites into action. Several land-use changes advanced as well, including a 7-0 vote to redesignate properties along Sylvan Road and Cox Avenue from industrial to high-density mixed-use, opening the door to walkable, apartment-and-retail development on sites that were formerly off-limits to residential use. The committee also approved neighborhood master plan updates for Peachtree Park, Edgewood, BeltLine Subarea 8, and the Collier Road corridor, while deferring a long-anticipated proposal to regulate short-term rentals — including a new permitting registry and an Office of Short-Term Rentals — at the sponsor's request.

Atlanta City Council — City Utilities Committee

The Atlanta City Utilities Committee approved several infrastructure contracts at its June 9 meeting while punting on a decision that could directly affect what residents pay for trash pickup. The committee greenlit a $2 million contract extension with Salmons Dredging Corporation for on-call underwater diving services — used to inspect and maintain the city's water infrastructure — and approved an $822,567 funding boost to keep the Greensferry Stream and Floodplain Restoration project on track. A proposed ordinance that would adjust solid waste service fees and clarify who qualifies for backyard collection exemptions was held in committee so a public hearing can be scheduled, giving residents a formal chance to weigh in before any rate changes are adopted. The committee also deferred action on a separate proposal to restore green infrastructure incentives and stormwater retention requirements that were stripped from city code in 2020, leaving that environmental rollback unreversed for now.

Atlanta City Council — Public Safety & Legal Administration Committee

The Atlanta Public Safety & Legal Administration Committee took action on public safety technology, blight enforcement, and legal liability at its June 8 meeting. Most notably, the committee approved a $3.5 million contract amendment with Axon Enterprise to equip the Atlanta Police Department with a counter-drone system capable of detecting, tracking, and neutralizing unauthorized drones over the city — a growing concern at large public events and sensitive locations. The committee also approved a resolution requesting a blight tax increase on a neglected Midtown commercial property, and authorized a $500,000 legal settlement in a pending civil lawsuit against the city. On the policing and criminal justice side, a resolution passed urging the Atlanta City Detention Center to explore options for reducing the jailing of low-level, nonviolent misdemeanor offenders, citing overcrowding and public safety concerns, while a proposed 180-day moratorium on new alcohol licenses in the Edgewood Corridor and a plan to lease space for a new APD Zone 6 precinct were both held in committee until June 15.

Atlanta City Council — Zoning Committee

The Atlanta Zoning Committee's June 8 agenda was packed with proposals to convert industrial land into mixed-use residential and commercial development across several parts of the city, reflecting the continued pressure to add housing near transit and employment corridors. Major items on the docket included a proposal to rezone a 12.5-acre industrial tract along the BeltLine on White Street SW to high-density mixed residential and commercial use, and a contested 13.87-acre site along Sylvan Road where city staff and the Zoning Review Board recommended denial even as the local neighborhood planning unit supported the change. The committee also had before it a city-wide text amendment that would impose strict buffer zone requirements and a special use permit process for state-licensed medical cannabis dispensaries. Because no minutes have been posted for this meeting, it is not yet known which items were voted on, approved, denied, or deferred — any item on the agenda may have been tabled or withdrawn, and outcomes should be confirmed before being treated as final.

Meetings This Week
- DeKalb County School District — Board of Education — June 15, 2026
The board will hold its second budget presentation and third public hearing on the proposed millage rate, giving residents another opportunity to weigh in before final votes are taken. No formal budget or tax rate adoption is expected at this session.

- DeKalb County School District — Board of Education — June 15, 2026
The board is scheduled to vote on adopting the FY2027 operating budget and setting the local property tax levy, decisions that will directly affect homeowners' upcoming tax bills. Also on the agenda: approval of an E-SPLOST continuation agreement, a $15 million K-12 science curriculum purchase, $3.1 million for new school buses, renovation contracts for Stoneview and Dresden Elementary Schools, and a first reading of a new board policy governing the use of artificial intelligence in schools.

- Atlanta City Council — Committee on Council — June 15, 2026 at 11:30 AM
The committee is scheduled to consider a resolution requesting certified law enforcement officers be stationed at all city recreation centers used as polling places during major elections, as well as a proposed ordinance that would change how residents sign up for public comment at council meetings. Also on the agenda are appointments to the BeltLine TAD Advisory Committee, the Atlanta Citizen Review Board, and the city's Housing Commission.

- Atlanta City Council — June 15, 2026 at 1:00 PM
The full council is scheduled to vote on the city's Fiscal Year 2027 budget and property tax rates across multiple levies, including general operations, debt service, parks, and special districts such as the Atlanta BeltLine and the Stitch. Also on the agenda: a proposed $7.85 million acquisition of nearly 30 acres on Randall Mill Road NW for permanent forest preservation, a new ordinance that would require mandatory pedestrian detours whenever sidewalk construction blocks a right-of-way, and a slate of rezoning cases across the city — including a large mixed-use development proposed for Sylvan Road and Cox Avenue and an annexation and multifamily rezoning along Woodland Avenue NE.

- DeKalb County Board of Commissioners — Committee of the Whole — June 18, 2026 at 9:00 AM
Public hearings on the county's 2026 property tax millage rates are scheduled, alongside a proposed $233.8 million design-build contract to overhaul the Scott Candler Water Treatment Plant and a $325.5 million multi-year water and sewer infrastructure contract. The committee will also take up more than $4 million in trail design contracts for the South River Trail and the North Fork Peachtree Creek Trail, and is expected to continue deliberations on new zoning rules and a development moratorium for data centers.

CONSTRUCTION

Permits

- 1189 Euclid Ave NE — A commercial space is getting a full electrical overhaul (all outlets and switches) plus new plumbing roughed in — toilet, kitchen sink, tubs, tankless water heater. Two pending permits filed days apart suggests a tenant buildout in progress. Worth watching to see what opens here.
- 586 Candler Park Dr NE — Sink relocations, an ADA-compliant shower, and updated fire sprinkler coverage. The ADA work in particular signals an accessibility upgrade to an existing commercial space.
- 767 Clifton Rd — Fire sprinkler system additions and relocations to bring an existing wet system up to NFPA 13 code. Routine compliance work, but noted.
- 1124 DeKalb Ave NE — A townhouse ground-level bonus room is being converted into a legal bedroom, with a bathroom and closet addition. Small project, but it reflects the ongoing push to maximize livable square footage in the area's denser housing stock.
- Clifton Rd (residential) — A $95K basement finish adding a bathroom, kitchenette, and rec room. One of the higher-dollar residential permits this week.

Elsewhere, 25 smaller residential permits came in totaling roughly $24K — mostly electrical, plumbing, and arborist work (7 tree removal/hazard filings alone, worth noting as storm season heats up).

Road Work

Under Construction

- SR 42/US 23 at Arkwright Place (Fulton County) — The intersection of Moreland Avenue and Arkwright Place is being converted to a right-in/right-out configuration, with a new median blocking left turns. About 2 miles southwest, but relevant if Moreland is part of your routine.
- SR 260 Pedestrian Improvements at Haas Ave, Eastside Ave & Brownwood Ave (DeKalb County) — GDOT is installing Rectangular Rapid Flash Beacons (RRFBs) at several crosswalks along SR 260. Expect some lane disruption near the work zones.
- I-20 Lighting Upgrade, Capitol Ave to Flat Shoals Road (DeKalb/Fulton) — Crews are swapping out old HPS light fixtures for LED along this stretch, which may mean overnight lane closures if you're catching I-20 heading west.

Pre-Construction
- SR 8/SR 10/US 23 Bridge Maintenance at Lullwater Creek (DeKalb County) — Scheduled maintenance on the bridge carrying Ponce De Leon Avenue over Lullwater Creek. If you cross this stretch regularly, expect potential lane restrictions once work gets underway.
- SR 8/US 23 Drainage Improvements, South Ponce De Leon Ave to Ridgecrest Road (DeKalb County) — Drainage upgrades along the Ponce De Leon Ave corridor, a key urban arterial through the area. Work will likely mean temporary disruptions along this heavily traveled stretch.
- SR 8 Roundabouts at Eastlake and North Ponce De Leon (DeKalb County) — Two roundabouts are planned along the Ponce de Leon corridor: one at SR 8 and Eastlake, and a second at SR 8 at North Ponce, West Parkwood, and East Parkwood. A significant change to how traffic flows through these intersections — worth keeping an eye on as this moves toward construction.
- SR 8/US 23 at SR 42 Intersection Improvements (DeKalb and Fulton Counties) — Turn lane extensions and additions planned at the Ponce De Leon and SR 42 intersection. The westbound left turn lane gets more storage, and a new westbound right turn lane is being added. Spans two counties, signaling a broader corridor-level priority.

Service Requests
- Traffic Signal Issues — Repairs underway at three intersections: DeKalb Ave @ Clifton Rd, Oakdale Rd & Fairview Rd, and Fairview Rd & Ponce de Leon Ave.
- Potholes — Reported along DeKalb Ave NE in two spots; one is flagged as a duplicate, suggesting it's a known problem that's been on the radar for a bit.
- Sign Repair — A sign at Southerland Ter NE & Colebrook St NE needs repair or replacement.
- Downed Tree — A tree is down on McLendon Ave NE.