scrap the current "city/county" system in favour of unified government? (Atlanta: rental car, rental)

[bryantm3]

look people, some of these ideas are pretty wild and split up atlanta more than they do put it together.

we have more counties than any other state besides texas, we have completely separate and competing government systems. i have to agree with newsboy, some of these ideas do sound pretty cracked up. dividing metro atlanta into MORE counties???

i'm just saying, we should unite most of the cities that are considered part of the intown area, into the city limits, but give them some authority to manage their own local business. i mean, it's really ridiculous— decatur is about as "in-town" as you can get, but the APD can't get called to a crime in decatur? how about brookhaven— you go, what, one mile east of lenox mall, and you're not in the city anymore?

my point isn't to *cause* strife, as it seems like a lot of people on here are apt to do— it's to give us a more unified, cooperative and effective government while still protecting local interests.

EDIT:

i guess my post wasn't explained well enough. i don't want to get rid of county governments across georgia, or even in the metro area. i'm saying we need to unify bordering cities/communities into the city of atlanta, across county lines.

[Peachcity]

Unity may get more things done like in Houston. We probably already have better transit going into the burbs.

[tigers84]

Originally Posted by bryantm3

i'm just saying, we should unite most of the cities that are considered part of the intown area, into the city limits, but give them some authority to manage their own local business. i mean, it's really ridiculous— decatur is about as "in-town" as you can get, but the APD can't get called to a crime in decatur? how about brookhaven— you go, what, one mile east of lenox mall, and you're not in the city anymore?

my point isn't to *cause* strife, as it seems like a lot of people on here are apt to do— it's to give us a more unified, cooperative and effective government while still protecting local interests.

in this day and age, when there is great concern, among some/many, about what they feel is the growing encroachment of govt, and/or too much/big govt, at all levels, from federal on down, and your idea is to expand its size? Really? Its a complete nonstarter.

Bigger govts do not equal more unified, cooperative and efficient. Good lord. Ask the US congress! Bigger govts just give those IN govt the opportunity to hold more sway over those not in govt. Reduce all govts and you will see greater economic growth, which by itself will solve many problems.

PS: What does the location of Lenox mall have to do with anything? There is nothing that says it has to be in the city of Atlanta. And regards Brookhaven. There will always be an arbitrary divider. Move the limits further out, and Something Else will be just beyond the borders edge.

[tigers84]

Originally Posted by bryantm3

how many times have you been on the road somewhere, needed to call 911, and then told then where you were and were told "wait, that isn't our area. let me transfer you to dunwoody police".

why can't we do this, and simplify everything??

Answer to first question: Never.

Answer to second question: Stunned silence.

[oakhurstlauren]

Originally Posted by bryantm3

i'm just saying, we should unite most of the cities that are considered part of the intown area, into the city limits, but give them some authority to manage their own local business. i mean, it's really ridiculous— decatur is about as "in-town" as you can get, but the APD can't get called to a crime in decatur? how about brookhaven— you go, what, one mile east of lenox mall, and you're not in the city anymore?

Trust me, no one in Decatur is worried about the police responding fast enough. Also, Decatur is older than the city of Atlanta, you'd be better off suggest the exact opposite, that Decatur took over the city of Atlanta, lol.

[ericsonga]

Yeah, I have to agree with everyone. I think this is a horrible idea. However, it's a moot point, because it would never come to fruition. Also, some of the counties in metro Atlanta are much much more efficient and better run than the city of Atlanta.

Gwinnett for example does an excellent job of infrastructure improvements and maintenance. You simply don't come across the horrible roads and bridges that you do in the city of Atlanta. Also, the school system here is one of the most diverse in the country, yet somehow is still exceeding national standards. Our parks and library system also deserve high ranks as they have each received national honors for excelling. This, for a county that essentially operates as a city of 800,000. I know Gwinnett has had it's share of scandal and corruption as of late, however, as a rule it's a very effeciently and economically sound county.

[FromGA]

Bryant, Politics is the "art of the possible".

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by bryantm3

i guess my post wasn't explained well enough. i don't want to get rid of county governments across georgia, or even in the metro area. i'm saying we need to unify bordering cities/communities into the city of atlanta, across county lines.

I doubt you'd find many (if any) areas with an interest in joining the city of Atlanta. Taxes are higher, but despite that schools (with some notable exceptions) are worse. Other services are lagging as well -- for example, fire and emergency response times are more than 10 times the recommended national average.

Audit: Atlanta fire, medical emergency response time too long *| ajc.com

In fairness to the city a lot of these problems are the legacy of neglect and disinvestment in earlier times. And of course we've had to deal with a much older infrastructure and a disproportionate share of the poor and homeless. But the situation has been changing. The city has been working hard to fix some of these things -- we've got very high performing schools in many areas, a new multibillion dollar water system, mass transit, outstanding freeway coverage, rejuvenating neighborhoods, much lower crime, etc.

[MathmanMathman]

Originally Posted by bryantm3

look people, some of these ideas are pretty wild and split up atlanta more than they do put it together.

we have more counties than any other state besides texas, we have completely separate and competing government systems. i have to agree with newsboy, some of these ideas do sound pretty cracked up. dividing metro atlanta into MORE counties???

No, if you create Milton, merge central Fulton with Dekalb, and breakup south Fulton and merge them with the surrounding counties, you have just as many counties as you had before. Although, I think Sandy Springs and Dunwoody ought to go to the reborn Milton.

i'm just saying, we should unite most of the cities that are considered part of the intown area, into the city limits, but give them some authority to manage their own local business. i mean, it's really ridiculous— decatur is about as "in-town" as you can get, but the APD can't get called to a crime in decatur? how about brookhaven— you go, what, one mile east of lenox mall, and you're not in the city anymore?

As was said before, I think Decatur can handle their own police needs.

my point isn't to *cause* strife, as it seems like a lot of people on here are apt to do— it's to give us a more unified, cooperative and effective government while still protecting local interests.

The creation of all these new municipalities would suggest that it wasn't working under the unified body of Fulton County. It wasn't a spirit of cooperation but wealth redistribution.

i guess my post wasn't explained well enough. i don't want to get rid of county governments across georgia, or even in the metro area. i'm saying we need to unify bordering cities/communities into the city of atlanta, across county lines.

If you are suggesting city boundaries crossing county boundaries, no, I don't like that. Then you have county jurisdiction issues within the city. Atlanta managed to cross into Dekalb.

One idea to consider is "independent cities". A city that is not part of a county. Virginia uses this and I believe St Louis is an independent city.

[ATLTJL]

i mean, it's really ridiculous— decatur is about as "in-town" as you can get, but the APD can't get called to a crime in decatur?

I think the people of Decatur like it this way. I bet the Decatur police respond much faster than APD ever would. In fact, one of the main reasons cities incorporate is so that they can have their own police forces.

I live in Duluth, which has pretty low crime because of the well funded large city police force. The city saw a problem and it responded by beefing up its police force. I highly doubt the county officials in Lawrenceville would have responded to the issue as swiftly or effectively as the city of Duluth did. The city was able to solve a growing crime problem very quickly. I don't trust the county to do that. That's why there is less crime in the city of Duluth than there is in unincorporated Gwinnett county.

So if Decatur notices an uptick in crime, the city can just get more police, upgrade its police infrastructure, or whatever it determines it needs to do to solve the problem. You think the city of Atlanta is going to respond like that to a problem in Decatur?

It is true that the larger the government, the smaller the individual. When you live in an incorporated city with a small population, like a Decatur or a Duluth, city hall has no choice but to listen to you. Cities like Atlanta and counties pretty much ignore individuals because they have so many of them. I'm a fan of keeping as much as possible as local as possible. In my experience, my little city of Duluth is much more financially responsible than the county at large or large cities like Atlanta.

I'm pretty sure residents of Decatur feel the same way about their city.