South Fulton residents could get a vote on incorporation (Atlanta: lawsuit, shop)

[jero23]

Originally Posted by Kimgem

Hmm. I am curious. Will you please clarify what you mean by "technically still is a part of the unincorporated areas"? What area of unincorporated South Fulton do you live in? What is happening in this thread is a small sample of what's happening in unincorporated South Fulton today.

People who largely don't live in our area are standing on the outside looking in, making decisions for us that won't affect them personally nor directly one iota.

When we become our own city, we will have our own mayor and city council whom we elect and who live in our area for transparency and accountability of government. When they make a decision, they will be affected directly too. After all, they will be our friends and neighbors. So they will think twice (or 2 or 3 times) about making decisions that negatively impact our area.

The main reason why many of the annexations to Atlanta, Union City, East Point, and College Park are occurring is because the property owners know their taxes are going to go up because of the demographics and economic limitations of the proposed municipality on properly funding municipal services. It goes back to the fact they know what they are dealing with in the existing municipalities. Most property owners know whom are behind the movement as a last ditch effort to municipalize areas that have nothing in common into one jurisdiction.

[bu2]

Originally Posted by primaltech

Oh, give me a break.

The ridiculous 'all available unincorporated land anywhere' borders of this proposed city, is what's forcing people into quick action, forcing people's hand. You're talking about neighborhoods who identify with Atlanta, who live right off 285, directly bordering Atlanta, or are even in an unincorporated peninsula, almost completely surrounded by the city. There was no rush on the matter before, now you've created a rush.

The selfish land grab going on is the South Fulton cityhood people. By all means make a new city in the large unincorporated area over by the river, one is definitely needed. But why does it have to be, an all or none situation, for every single last unincorporated property anywhere, no matter if they're going to be an island or a fringe peninsula, surrounded by Union City or by Atlanta?

The proper way to do this would have been to create a new city that does not border Atlanta, then let everyone in the middle individually figure out which city they want to be in, via annexations into either.

And I think that is what most people are objecting to, not the idea of a city of South Fulton, but the ridiculous boundaries, that will create monumental service issues as those peninsulas and islands get developed.

[demonta4]

Pages - FCSSpotlight

Impact of Proposed Annexation of Unincorporated South Fulton County into the City of Atlanta

If approved as proposed by the City of Atlanta, annexation of Unincorporated South Fulton County will have a substantial impact on the Fulton County School System.

If my neighborhood is annexed, would my child go to another school?
Neighborhoods that are annexed into the City of Atlanta will no longer go to a Fulton County school. Students who attend A. Philip Randolph Elementary, Sandtown Middle School and Westlake High School zones would face removal from their current school and being placed in a school within Atlanta Public Schools, a separate school system. In addition to a different school environment, this may mean new teachers and support staff as well as new classmates. If the annexation goes through, this would occur in Fall 2017.

What if my neighborhood is not part of the annexation?
Even if your neighborhood is not affected by annexation, it still may be impacted since Randolph Elementary and Sandtown Middle school facilities are part of a proposed annexation area. This means that those schools may no longer be owned by Fulton County Schools if the annexation goes through and may not be available to serve the school's current students, leading to a redistricting of those students to another school. This would lead to overcrowding and imbalanced enrollments at other South Fulton schools. Every elementary and middle school in South Fulton may be impacted.

Would overcrowded schools or imbalanced enrollments lead to redistricting?
If Fulton County Schools were to lose A.P. Randolph Elementary and Sandtown Middle Schools, staff and Board of Education would need to consider a large redistricting effort to balance enrollments through South Fulton schools. This means changing attendance boundaries and moving students to different schools.

What would happen to A. Philip Randolph Elementary and Sandtown Middle School?
Under current interpretation of law, Fulton County Schools may lose the facilities of A. Philip Randolph Elementary and Sandtown Middle School as they would be located inside the annexation area which would become part of the City of Atlanta and within the boundaries of Atlanta Public Schools. At its June 16 meeting, the Fulton County Board of Education formally voiced its objection to its schools being included within the annexation areas.

What would happen to current Fulton County Schools teachers and staff?
Student enrollment determines staffing of every school position, including bus drivers, cafeteria workers, support staff, and most importantly, teachers. As students move, staff will be reassigned to accommodate them at their new schools.

What are other impacts of the proposed annexation?
Student transportation would be impacted as buses would have to be re-routed, reduced or added to serve students, which could change the time students spend on buses traveling to school or home. There also could be additional costs incurred as students are transported to schools farther away than their previous neighborhood school.

Also, Fulton County Schools is proud to operate the state's largest Charter System which allows every school in our district to have its own governing council consisting of parents and community leaders. Each school has chosen a specific curriculum/focus, aligned to their strategy to improve outcomes for students, which they have deemed best for their community. An annexation may have the effect of disrupting the strategic plan for impacted communities, including affected feeder schools Children who were a part of that focus may now be sent to a school with a different academic focus.

Will residents and parents of students affected by the Sandtown annexation have an opportunity to express their opinions to the Atlanta City Council before its vote?
Parents and other concerned citizens who live or own property in the proposed annexed area can express their opinion to the Atlanta City Council on Tuesday, June 28, 2016, at 11:00 a.m. The public hearing will be located in the City Council Chambers located on the 2nd Floor of Atlanta City Hall, 55 Trinity Street, SW, Atlanta, GA.

So they'll have to redistrict, again. This is getting ridiculous, the South Fulton schools have already been redistricted enough in the last few years. The legislature should've came up with a clear cut plan for the incorporation of South Fulton, and what cities could annex within the area. If we're gonna do it this way there's no reason Fulton County should lose their schools, let them keep the property.

[bu2]

Originally Posted by demonta4

Pages - FCSSpotlight



So they'll have to redistrict, again. This is getting ridiculous, the South Fulton schools have already been redistricted enough in the last few years. The legislature should've came up with a clear cut plan for the incorporation of South Fulton, and what cities could annex within the area. If we're gonna do it this way there's no reason Fulton County should lose their schools, let them keep the property.

These ridiculous boundaries are why Atlanta is rushing it instead of an orderly, planned process. There was some discussion of an orderly process, but then the South Fulton bill got passed, ending those discussions. Even if some of the boundaries were evened out, South Fulton makes no sense as one city-there's a south of I-85 area and the area well to the west with very little connecting the two except that they aren't in a city now. Now based on the last two times they tried when it failed big, it will probably fail again, but Atlanta's annexations improve the possibility of it passing by pulling out areas opposed.

The legislature should have a "delay" of a year or two (or 18 to 30 months if a 12/31 annexation) on the school district portion of the annexation. There just isn't enough time for planning for the schools. You don't know if the annexation vote will pass. And if it is done by petition, it takes place immediately. In Texas, school district boundaries are independent of the city, so you don't have all these issues. Except for the 20 or so "city" districts, you don't have these issues with annexation. They really need to put some thought into how annexation works with the city school districts like Atlanta, Marietta and Decatur.

[Justice123]

Georgia Unfiltered | Telling the Truth

This is getting real ugly.

College Park files suit to stop City of South Fulton vote in November.

[bu2]

Originally Posted by Justice123

Georgia Unfiltered | Telling the Truth

This is getting real ugly.

College Park files suit to stop City of South Fulton vote in November.

I think you are reading it wrong. They are suing Fulton County for objecting to College Park's annexations. They aren't objecting to the City of South Fulton.

[Justice123]

Originally Posted by bu2

I think you are reading it wrong. They are suing Fulton County for objecting to College Park's annexations. They aren't objecting to the City of South Fulton.

Thanks Bu2 for correcting.

[South Fulton Facts]

Originally Posted by Justice123

Georgia Unfiltered | Telling the Truth

This is getting real ugly.

College Park files suit to stop City of South Fulton vote in November.

Remember, there was no overwhelming demand to create a new City of South Fulton.

Most South Fulton residents want to be left alone.

But a small group of loudmouths (Benny Crane, Rafer Johnson, Aaron Johnson, Helen Willis, Harold Reid, and Rod Littles) deceived the Georgia General Assembly into believing South Fulton wanted a vote on cityhood.

The rabble-rousing by this small minority is what forced people into seeking annexation out of the proposed City of South Fulton. Think about it. From 2007 until 2014, we didn't see this kind of wide-scale annexation taking place.

The cityhood zealots are the ones who started this mess, and it is tearing south Fulton apart.

[fourthwarden]

Originally Posted by bu2

I think you are reading it wrong. They are suing Fulton County for objecting to College Park's annexations. They aren't objecting to the City of South Fulton.

Georgia Unfiltered obtained a copy of legal action filed by the City of College Park to stop the City of South Fulton referendum. The College Park lawsuit also seeks to have House Bill 514 ruled unconstitutional.

I mean, without reading the actual suit I can't say much else, but the article pretty explicitly says that College park is trying to stop the creation of South Fulton.

[South Fulton Facts]

Originally Posted by fourthwarden

I mean, without reading the actual suit I can't say much else, but the article pretty explicitly says that College park is trying to stop the creation of South Fulton.

The actual suit is available to be read right here

https://www.scribd.com/doc/316025437...n-County-Et-Al