North Fulton County lawmaker wants to split from South Fulton to create "Milton County" (Atlanta: how much, tax)

[tonygeorgia]

Originally Posted by Akhenaton06

Isn't this like the umpteenth time this has come up?

Stuff like this is going to be the death of this region, I tell you.

Fulton County now has more than 1 million residents, and it’s more than 80 miles long. Those facts, Milton County supporters contend, make the county ungovernable.

There are counties like this out West that do just fine.

They should have thought about this b4 they joined Fulton County

[Iconographer]

Perhaps, like Sandy Springs and Dunwoody, they've simply had enough.

For Fulton's sake, downsize county government | Opinion | Creative Loafing Atlanta

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by LovinDecatur

Perhaps, like Sandy Springs and Dunwoody, they've simply had enough.

For Fulton's sake, downsize county government | Opinion | Creative Loafing Atlanta

Yep. If you poke people in the eye long enough, eventually they will respond.

[BringBackCobain]

Let them secede. I don't get why people care. Milton Co. will still pay for MARTA and Grady Hospital. What's the big deal? They're already separated by Atlanta.

That being said, it's annoying that she keeps trying to push an Atlanta and South Fulton County consolidation. That would obliterate all the gains the city has made in the last 20 years, just as it's reaching some pretty significant milestones.

[Adric]

I wonder how this would affect census figures for Atlanta? If at all?

[flyonpa]

Would not effect the Atlanta Census at all, Census are done at the 'block level' then city then county level. If the county is split. in 2020 the new county would then be reported for its people. I'm Sure someone would generated numbers based on the old census for the 'new' county for what it would have in population if it was there.

[aries4118]

Originally Posted by BringBackCobain

Let them secede. I don't get why people care. Milton Co. will still pay for MARTA and Grady Hospital. What's the big deal? They're already separated by Atlanta.

That being said, it's annoying that she keeps trying to push an Atlanta and South Fulton County consolidation. That would obliterate all the gains the city has made in the last 20 years, just as it's reaching some pretty significant milestones.

If Milton County secedes (taking Sandy Springs with it), then Atlanta and unincorporated South Fulton should definitely consolidate.

East Point and College Park would first annex adjacent areas and join Clayton County (Hapeville would join too).

Union City and Fairbun would also annex adjacent areas and join Fayette County or Clayton County.

Chattahoochee Hills and Palmetto would join Coweta County.

And the rest of unincorporated South Fulton would then join the City of Atlanta/Fulton County (would have same boundaries).

[rcsteiner]

Originally Posted by tonygeorgia

They should have thought about this b4 they joined Fulton County

The story of Milton County is an interesting one:

Fulton County, Georgia, History, Resources, Links, and Events

New Georgia Encyclopedia: Milton County

Milton County, Georgia - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[arjay57]

Milton County has a much better chance after last month's elections. Republicans are now very close to having enough votes to pass anything they want, including amendments to the Constitution. They just picked up yet another crossover, Rep. Doug McKillip from Athens.

[SW30303]

If Milton recreates its own county in North Fulton, taxes on homeowners and sales tax will definitely increase in order to recreate county services. The proponents of this issue won't say that now, but it would happen. Then after all that hoopla to get it passed, I bet *some* of these same voters will still complain about "high taxes."

There are valid arguments about their tax money going to many areas outside of Fulton county, could they work on correcting that? I know incorporating nearly all of North Fulton into cities caused that to happen in 2006. So with that recent creation, a lot of the tax money they complain about goes into North Fulton through city taxes. The millage rate in Fulton is already pretty high, not counting properties in the city limits. *shrugs*

I still think consolidation at the county level should happen first in some of the select rural areas where substantial population loss has happened over the past few decades, but there is no active "movement" for that right now. Georgia has more counties than any other US state, except Texas. I think Georgia counties with fewer than 10K-15,000 people could easily be absorbed and the counties would probably be more efficient after working some the difficulties out. Many counties that are small are certainly cash-strapped right now. But that would be some job loss for the locals in those poorer counties, so they would balk at this suggestion I just posted here. As most people should understand, that is where the focus should be, but interest groups worry about themselves first and then everyone else later. This is somewhat a NIMBY issue anyway.

The Georgia Legislature is definitely more Atlanta-centric now, but I see a vote on this Milton issue as very divisive, doesn't matter what party.

Anyway, my 2 kopeck on this issue for what it is worth.