Power Breakfast: DeKalb needs to slim down, Clayton schools, oil leak, Wal-Mart, Aaron’s, Fed, Goldman

DeKalb County’s government needs to slim down, AJC staffer Megan Matteucci reports.

A study by Georgia State University found that the county’s government is bloated with managers, twice as big as comparable local governments, and should lay off at least 909 employees, Matteucci writes.

The DeKalb County Commission contracted for the study of its staffing levels in December as it faced a budget shortfall that has now swelled to $100 million.

Results released to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Monday show DeKalb’s extra layers of management not only add costs, but add ambiguity about who’s in charge and impede decision-making, the researchers said.

Those results surprised many, including Commissioner Lee May, who suggested the study.

“I do think there is room to downsize our staffing size, but it’s up to the people of DeKalb to say what they are willing to pay for,” May told Matteucci.

Also in the AJC:

• Clayton schools chief asks for $47 million budget cut
• State lawmakers in home stretch
• Wal-Mart to face massive class-action lawsuit
• Oil leak threatens Gulf Coast
• Aaron’s has record quarter
• Newspaper circulation continues to decline
• Manufacturer consolidates operations in Buford

In other media:

• Fed poised to keep record low interest rates
• Goldman CEO facing Congress
• Off Wall St., worries about financial overhaul