By Jonathan Copsey / STAFF

Two term City Councilman Douglas DeRito announced his intentions to run for re-election to the Alpharetta City Council seat he has held for the last eight years in the upcoming November 3rd General Election.

DeRito is completing his second term on the City Council and claims he has “built a record of achievement that has contributed to the improved quality of life for all Alpharettans,” DeRito said. No stranger to public service, DeRito came to Alpharetta over 14 years ago, with his wife Ann Marie and three children – Jenna 20, Douglas 18 and Matthew 16 – after serving his former community in Edgewater, New Jersey as a School Board Trustee and a City Councilman.

A partner with Ryan, Inc., one of North America’s largest corporate tax consulting firms, DeRito serves as the Managing Partner for Ryan’s Atlanta Office and deals with corporate, international, federal and state/local tax matters around the world for Fortune 1000 companies. He is a nationally recognized speaker on tax matters and a nationally certified tax accountant by trade.

DeRito is currently the President of the Alpharetta High School Foundation, has been active in contributing to the overall growth of Alpharetta High School, serves as a Board member on the Alpharetta Public Safety Foundation and has served as the City Council liaison to the Finance, Public Safety and Recreation & Parks Departments. Prior to joining the City Council, Doug served as a member of the Recreation & Parks Board.

That’s all well and good, but what has he done during his eight years in office?

DeRito was deeply involved in establishing the region’s first Public Safety Department, aligning all of Alpharetta’s public safety resources under one chain of command. This has allowed Alpharetta to coordinate Homeland Security measures, attract a higher level of Federal and State Grants and delivered proven results in an enhanced community policing effort; while driving out annual costs to taxpayers in excess of $500,000 by integrating leadership coordination.

“[I have] been a consistent supporter and vigilant advocate for upholding the City’s Comprehensive Land Use Plan,” he said, while claiming his voting record demonstrates his commitment to ensuring quality growth within the requirements of our tough zoning laws and tree ordinance. DeRito has supported the continued effort to build out Westside Parkway; and along with his colleagues on the City Council, has led the recent efforts to prepare the City’s first Growth Impact Study that will serve as a blueprint for the continued managed growth of the City. He also says he continues to support proactively investment in our Traffic Control Center, intersection improvements, sidewalk extensions and the signal interconnect initiative to improve the flow of traffic within the City limits.

He says he has worked toward managing the continued building requirements of our Parks and Recreational needs, an area that has had a direct impact on the quality of life for all ages. Also, DeRito supported the expansion of the Greenway System and provided leadership on addition of additional passive parkland and green space requirements of a growing population base.

DeRito maintained he has strived for fiscal responsibility within all aspects of City government. He served over the Finance area of the City for his first two years on the City Council and in that time assisted in implementing over 18 new financial management policies. These policies have become the framework in “providing our taxpayers complete transparency in financial management of the City’s tax dollars,” he said, pointing out that this has had a direct impact on the City achieving a AAA bond rating. He has been instrumental in implemented an internal auditing function to track every tax dollar to eliminate governmental waste and set in motion policies for ensuring the long-term financial health and stability of the City – while at the same time stabilizing the tax rates and positioning the City to experience annual surpluses from sound fiscal policies. The councilman claims to have a 100 percent record in supporting tax relief and has supported the increase in the residential homestead exemption.

During his two terms of office on the City Council, DeRito has said he has “demonstrated principled leadership and has assisted the City through some critical growth periods and matters of great importance.” Should he be re-elected, Councilman DeRito says he will turn his focus on continuing to provide good fiscal leadership during the current economic times.

See you November 3.