DeKalb County CEO Burrell Ellis returns to his office
DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. - Burrell Ellis spoke in public for the first time since being reinstated as DeKalb County's Chief Executive Officer.
"I'm just thankful to be back and to be here," Ellis said at a news conference Wednesday morning outside his Decatur office. "What we learned from all of this is to live in the moment, live in the now."
Ellis was reinstated as COE on Monday after his July 2015 extortion and perjury convictions were overturned last month. The Georgia Supreme Court said that despite enough evidence to convict the county’s CEO on allegations surrounding a 2012 attempt to extort campaign contributions, “technical errors” led the court to reverse his conviction.
"Our task for the next couple weeks is going to be straight forward and direct," Ellis said. "We're going to make sure county operations continue in the way our citizens expect and deserve."
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Ellis said his office is prepared to address any emergencies that happen over the next few weeks and they are focusing on the transition to DeKalb County's next CEO.
"We're going to ensure an orderly transition to the new administration so that Michael Thurmond can hit the ground running on January 1," Ellis said.
Following the news conference, Ellis re-entered his office for the first time since his reinstatement. It was something he said he was looking forward to.
"I'm savoring the moment, enjoying the day," he said.
Ellis’ term is set to expire December 31, 2016.