Talk of merging Hall, Gainesville reignites (Atlanta, Columbus: 2013, living in, military)

[Airforceguy]

If this were to happen, it would put Gainesville in the top ten cities of Georgia.

Talk of merging Hall, Gainesville governments reignites

[jero23]

I wish more cities and counties would merger because I'm so tired of the duplication of services in most places around this region...

[lem1985]

Originally Posted by jero23

I wish more cities and counties would merger because I'm so tired of the duplication of services in most places around this region...

good for some not for everybody. Some places across America are hating the mergers and are putting in measurements to get out of the mergers

[jero23]

In the long run it makes sense financially for there to be one consolidated government than multiple competing governments in the same area.

[GaPlanner]

This would help city boosters if there are any for Gainesville - lol but seriously, Gainesville deserves to be on the map. They even has midrises - a pretty decent skyline for a Tier-3 city. They are the commercial and medical hub for the entire rural/mountain region of North/NE Georgia with economic ties to Atlanta and Athens.

Gainesville-Hall County would be the 4th largest municipality in Georgia - surpassing Macon, Savannah, Athens, Albany and the largest of the Atlanta suburbs. Growth trends remaining the same, it would also surpass Augusta and Columbus within 2-5 years becoming the second largest city in Georgia. Columbus and Augusta boosters would have to just get over it because they also operate consolidated governments as well.

Its so interesting to me how "on the map" cities in Georgia can go from being relatively unmentioned just by consolidating govt. You would think with all this anti-govt/small-govt hoopla the tea party folks would be all for consolidated govts (it makes sense in many cities, but not all cities - mainly depends on geography, demographics and distribution of resources).

[demonta4]

Originally Posted by jero23

I wish more cities and counties would merger because I'm so tired of the duplication of services in most places around this region...

I see how that would work for smaller cities with less municipalities in the first place, but not in the Atlanta metro. People like having options. Though one thing I can't stand is unincorporated spots in Atlanta. Is it really that hard to annex?

[sedimenjerry]

Originally Posted by demonta4

Though one thing I can't stand is unincorporated spots in Atlanta. Is it really that hard to annex?

I like living in unincorporated Gwinnett. One less level of government to deal with.

[masonbauknight]

Originally Posted by GaPlanner

Gainesville-Hall County would be the 4th largest municipality in Georgia - surpassing Macon, Savannah, Athens, Albany and the largest of the Atlanta suburbs. ).

Only if all the other incorporated municipalities in Hall County decide to merge with Gainesville, but dissolving city charters is rare in Georgia. The article already notes that there's enough antagonism between Gainesville and Hall County officials as it is, and that is not a good omen for any city-county merger.

Originally Posted by GaPlanner

Growth trends remaining the same, it would also surpass Augusta and Columbus within 2-5 years becoming the second largest city in Georgia. Columbus and Augusta boosters would have to just get over it because they also operate consolidated governments as well.).

Pie-in-the-sky, best-case-scenario fantasizing. Unless we all wait till the year 2050 to see Gainesville pass Columbus. By then, all demographic trends in Georgia will have probably changed. Columbus might continue to grow at its current clip. Augusta could merge with Blythe and Hephzibah to gain more residents and pass Columbus -- or suddenly boom without them. Savannah-Chatham might even consolidate by 2030, and even without Pooler, Garden City and other incorporated towns, would be the 2nd-largest by a wide margin. Your post is pure speculation. Gainesville's arrival in the GA Top Five (and especially second-largest city in the state) is premature and very doubtful.

[Saintmarks]

Originally Posted by masonbauknight

Only if all the other incorporated municipalities in Hall County decide to merge with Gainesville, but dissolving city charters is rare in Georgia. The article already notes that there's enough antagonism between Gainesville and Hall County officials as it is, and that is not a good omen for any city-county merger.



Pie-in-the-sky, best-case-scenario fantasizing. Unless we all wait till the year 2050 to see Gainesville pass Columbus. By then, all demographic trends in Georgia will have probably changed. Columbus might continue to grow at its current clip. Augusta could merge with Blythe and Hephzibah to gain more residents and pass Columbus -- or suddenly boom without them. Savannah-Chatham might even consolidate by 2030, and even without Pooler, Garden City and other incorporated towns, would be the 2nd-largest by a wide margin. Your post is pure speculation. Gainesville's arrival in the GA Top Five (and especially second-largest city in the state) is premature and very doubtful.

This isn't pie in the sky at all. Let's look at some statistics:

Hall county population gains since 1970 (dropping the last three digits to save time)

1970 - 59k
1980 - 75k
1990 - 95k
2000 - 139k
2010 - 179k
2013 est. - 187k

There are eight incorporated towns in Hall outside of Gainsville, but half are primarily located in adjacent counties and extend somewhat into Hall. Only three towns outside of Gainesville are totally within Hall County. I have added the 2010 census numbers for all:

Flowery Branch - 5,679
Oakwood - 3,970
Clermont - 419

Lula (2,758) lies primarily in Hall but a portion does spill over into Banks County.

The remaining four incorporated cities or towns in Hall lie primarily in an adjacent county and only have part of their city limits going over the border. Rest Haven (151) and Buford (12,225) lie primarily in Gwinnett. Looking at a map, I would say only 5% of Bufords incorporated area crosses into Hall. Gillsville (235) lies primarily in Banks while Braselton (7711) lies primarily in Jackson and also spills into Gwinnett and Barrow as well as Hall.

So, 15k (being generous I think) lie in incorporated places outside the city of Gainesville, so take that figure away from the latest estimate for the county and you would have a consolidated population around 172k and that is assuming the remaining towns will remain independent. Now look at the exponential growth of the county as a whole each of the decades listed above compared with that of Augusta and Columbus and you have a scenario where a consolidated Gainesville could easily be the second largest city in the state by the next census. If not, shortly thereafter.

[Saintmarks]

Another statistic that needs to be considered: Land area.

Hall County: 429 square miles
Richmond County: 329 square miles
Muscogee County: 221 square miles

That is total land area. Granted, a large chunk of Hall is under Lake Lanier, so readjust for land area:

Hall County: 393 square miles
Richmond County: 324 square miles
Muscogee County: 216 square miles.

I don't have statistics for this in square miles, but both Richmond and Muscogee have large military bases that will constrict future growth. Almost 25% of Muscogee is covered by Fort Benning.

Considering the previous growth in the last several decades along with a much larger footprint, a consolidated Gainesville-Hall County has the potential to be much larger than the other two and would rival them immediately upon consolidation.