Could Skidaway Island become the City of Skidaway Island? (Atlanta: crime, how much)

[Airforceguy]

What are your thoughts on this Newsboy?

It’s one of the big topics that has arose from the annual Savannah-Chatham Day in Atlanta.

WJCL spoke to Karl Stephens, the CAO of The Landings Association, who confirmed that they are asking state leaders to make the move.

Stephens says The Landings makes up 80 percent of the population of what would be included in the proposed city.

State lawmakers are open to the idea, but aren’t ready to commit. State Representative Jesse Petrea told WJCL that he and State Senator Ben Watson met with the association last week. He said that they are considering sponsoring a bill, but would want to get input from constituents outside of The Landings first.

Could Skidaway Island become the City of Skidaway Island?

[masonbauknight]

Originally Posted by Airforceguy

Could Skidaway Island become the City of Skidaway Island?

What a surprise! -- I am just floored! (irony off). This is a wealthy, white gated community that fears consolidation with Savannah, higher taxes, "big government." I think there's a good chance the GA statehouse will listen to its well-heeled residents and approve it. If so, Skidaway voters will vote overwhelmingly yes and the unwashed will forever keep their distance. Remember that the state approved Sandy Springs' incorporation outside Atlanta. After Skidaway, Wilmington-Whitemarsh Is. or Georgetown could well lobby for the same. Consolidation will be a bumpy ride: (1) conservative opposition, (2) the racial divide, (3) the wealth divide, and (4) the small municipalities, which might wish to try annexing points south (for Tybee, points west). The State of Chatham.

[GA Survivor]

I can see this approved as well as the Wilmington/Whitemarsh Island area. Georgetown will be much harder due to the areas Savannah has already annexed around it. It will be interesting to see if the merger starts to get legs, how much of the other areas will annex into other cities. Example Southbridge/Berwick area into Pooler or Garden City. The rural 204/Little Neck Road area into Bloomingdale or Pooler. I look to see a lot of small areas trying to avoid the consolidated area.

[Iconographer]

Question is, would Skidaway have a substantial enough commercial tax base to sustain itself? This has been an ongoing issue with new GA cities like Brookhaven. Other thing being that Brookhaven initially wanted cherry pick high-income, low-crime areas for their proposed city; the state said no, and required them to take the sketchy Buford Hwy. area that abutted them. So, higher cost of law enforcement, and an ongoing struggle to fund it.

[Newsboy]

The idea of a "gated" municipality could be problematic under Georgia law.

[masonbauknight]

Originally Posted by Newsboy

The idea of a "gated" municipality could be problematic under Georgia law.

In some states, very true. In Georgia? Much less of a legal hurdle, I think. But we'll see if the GA statehouse approves the incorporation, Gov. Deal signs off, and it's confirmed in a (required) island-wide referendum. I would bet yes, yes, and yes.

[GA Survivor]

Money may not be as much of an issue as some of the other places. They pay quite a bit in dues to the association that could be converted to taxes. They have a large security force already plus the money they pay in fire subscriptions would be a good start. I believe if they want it, they will get it.

[Iconographer]

Originally Posted by Newsboy

The idea of a "gated" municipality could be problematic under Georgia law.

I lived in a gated community in south Florida. Down there, if the streets were publicly owned, you could not restrict anyone from entering. The guard offered little more than intimidation. Don't know if this holds true in GA.

[Iconographer]

Originally Posted by masonbauknight

This is a wealthy, white gated community that fears consolidation with Savannah, higher taxes, "big government."

What's to fear? Under state law, the City of Savannah could not annex Skidaway without the vote of 50% + 1 of its citizens. That sounds unlikely to happen.

[masonbauknight]

Originally Posted by LovinDecatur

What's to fear? Under state law, the City of Savannah could not annex Skidaway without the vote of 50% + 1 of its citizens. That sounds unlikely to happen.

No, no. Annexation is not consolidation. Skidaway is worried about a possible Savannah-Chatham consolidation, which would be passed by the majority vote of the entire Savannah/nonincorporated Chatham area (each neighborhood does not have a separate veto). That's what this is about: The well-heeled Skidaway voters wish to head off consolidation now by incorporating ahead of it. Thus, like Pooler or Garden City, they would remain untouched by a merger with Savannah.