South Fulton residents could get a vote on incorporation (Atlanta: living in, property)
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It's not as simple as that. Annexing existing neighborhoods is such a difficult thing to do within the confines of Georgia law, it is easier to annex a business. All the owner has to do is want to be in, doesn't have to depend on all his neighbors. The fact that whole neighborhoods want to join the city of Atlanta is proof that residents are not nearly as boosterish as the newcomer to the CD group above is. To be that unified as a neighborhood speaks volumes of the dislike for a new city of South Fulton.
All it speaks is that the residents of that one neighborhood wanted to be in Atlanta, regardless of the cityhood outcome or it's existence. Other neighborhoods have this same opportunity, but many are going for cityhood. (Like mine for example, which lies in between College Park and Union City but doesn't touch either city.)
Perhaps the focus should then be consolidation and integration of unincorporated land into existing cities, instead of further balkanization of the metro?
It's too late for that, North Fulton shouldn't have done it. This is why we're in this situation today. South Fulton is being controlled by commissioners who don't even live in the area. This is why we have lackluster services.
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Originally Posted by jero23
The serious possibility of Fulton Industrial Boulevard and most of the major commercial businesses along Cascade Road being annexed into Atlanta proper will result in a vastly underfunded government. The proposed municipality would have triple or quadruple residential property taxes to just break even. Furthermore, the fact that areas being included in the proposal are mostly known for crime with the very few exceptions will hurt its image of being able to recruit major employers. This is a setup for failure.
South Fulton is already self sustaining, what would be the difference? (Besides better leadership, and local control) The Fulton Industrial area is included in the cityhood map, and I doubt the entire area could be annexed by July.
It's too late for that, North Fulton shouldn't have done it. This is why we're in this situation today. South Fulton is being controlled by commissioners who don't even live in the area. This is why we have lackluster services.
You would get better services if the area was annexed by the existing cities rather than yet adding another one.
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South Fulton is already self sustaining, what would be the difference? (Besides better leadership, and local control) The Fulton Industrial area is included in the cityhood map, and I doubt the entire area could be annexed by July.
Commercial annexations only require a vote of a city council. The only reason the COA hasn't annexed the Fulton Industrial District was due to that stupid constitutional amendment passed in 1979 at the behest of the Fulton County Commission.
Location: Atlanta, Birmingham, Charlotte, and Raleigh
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Kimgem
I live in unincorporated South Fulton and I am voting "Yes!" to becoming a new city. It is interesting to me that the people in this forum who are against this do not even live in South Fulton. Check out where they are posting from to see what I mean and let that factor help determine the "weight" to which you should give their thoughts about what happens in South Fulton. We do not care about "funky borders" on a map. This is our lives we are talking about and the people in our area should have a say in our futures.
I am glad this issue will be on the ballot so that we at least have the right to decide - as was given to people in Sandy Springs, Johns Creek, Milton, etc.
Many of my neighbors are voting to become a city because we are displeased with the level of service we receive from the county (up to 2 hours for police to show up) and we want to have a say in planning and zoning of the area.
For those who live in the area and are undecided, then this is some more information as to why South Fulton is viable as a city: www.cityhood.net.
Here is also an FAQ I created for my neighbors:
“Will my property taxes go up?” That was my main question about South Fulton incorporating into a city. I was confused and thought, “Why can’t we leave well enough alone and stay unincorporated?”
Today, my husband Mike and I attended the Community summit about cityhood and annexation.
I got answers at the summit and want to share what I learned. You might have similar questions:
1. “Will my property taxes go up?”
2. “Why can’t we leave well enough alone and stay unincorporated?”
3. “Do we have qualified people to govern the new city?”
4. “Does the new city HAVE to be called “South Fulton”?
5. "I love that this area is rural and I want it to stay that way. Won't this put our rural areas in danger of becoming 'city-fied'?"
1. “Will my property taxes go up?”
Not likely. In fact it’s more likely they will go DOWN. Here is why; South Fulton already has a line item in the Fulton County budget to pay for our services (police, fire, parks & recreation, public works, etc.) called the “South Fulton Special Services District Fund (SSD). For 2016, that budget is 55 million dollars.
When we become a city, all of that money will be transferred from the Fulton County budget into the new City of South Fulton.
Not only that, but in becoming a city, we would be eligible to receive a portion of the local option sales tax, currently estimated at 20 million dollars.
So our city would be operating at a surplus, if our current expenses hold true.
With that solid financial position, we use the surplus to provide a higher level of services for our area.
Example: Our house was burglarized a couple of years ago and it took 2 HOURS for a police officer to show up. Surely, we could get a better police response with our own city police!
2. “Why can’t we leave well enough alone and stay unincorporated?”
Today, I was sickened to learn about the backroom politics going on that at first, tried to deny South Fulton the right to even VOTE on becoming a city (a right given previously to other cities like Johns Creek, Sandy Springs, and Chattahoochee Hills).
Not only that, but Atlanta and Union City are cherry-picking the most valuable business-occupied land in our area to fatten up their own tax base.
It is like sharks smelling blood in the water and biting off their chunk of flesh through annexations. It got so bad that the legislation had to pass a moratorium to put a stop to it. Some of these annexations were illegal per state law.
If we don’t become a city, surrounding areas will keep on biting off pieces of South Fulton. We will lose the right to control our own destinies and our most valuable asset – which is the abundance of undeveloped land. We have more undeveloped land than any other area in Fulton County.
3. “Do we have qualified people to govern the new city?”
After the summit, I am VERY confident that we have the talent, knowledge, and experience necessary right here in South Fulton to govern our city wisely. When the time comes, we can do our due diligence and pray to get the right people, in the right positions, who will do right by their fellow citizens.
Some of the representatives present and/or answered questions at the summit included:
County Commissioner District 5 – Marvin Arrington, Jr.
County Commissioner District 6 – Emma Darnell
State Rep. District 62 – LaDawn Jones
4. “Does our new city HAVE to be called ‘South Fulton’?”
Rep. Roger Bruce, who is sponsoring the Cityhood bill, used “The City of South Fulton” as a name on the bill to encompass the entire area, not just calling the proposed city Cedar Grove, or Cliftondale, or Sandtown (everybody wanted the city to be named after their own neighborhood). The City of South Fulton name was neutral for voting purposes.
Once we become a city, we should have the right to choose a name that works for all of us.
5. "I love that this area is rural and I want it to stay that way. Won't this put our rural areas in danger of becoming 'city-fied'?"
Becoming our own city is the best way to protect our rural areas. Becoming our own city will allow us to control land use out here - which areas stay green and which are most appropriate for business development with the least impact.
If we don't become our own city, then we would be a sitting duck for other cities to annex us. They would then have the power to build industrial areas wherever they choose, such as Union City did. The Walmart distribution center is at their subdivision's front door.
Because we know and love the character of this area, voting for cityhood would put us in the best position to preserve and protect it.
Nice to see one of the individual associated with the South Fulton United to post on the board. Oh yeah, Sandtown Community Association released the results of a poll conducted by the group last week.
The majority of active members of the group said no to the City of South Fulton, so Sandtown is not on board of this retry of a failed referendum.
Also Martin's Park, the Cottages of Cascade, and a couple more places are on the way to annexing into Atlanta proper. I hate to say this, but this is going to be funny because there will be almost nothing substantial left in commercial property after these waves of annexations are over by Atlanta, Union City, Chattahoochee Hills are done. I've heard that East Point is working something as well, so watch for more of the continuous annexations.
Location: Atlanta, Birmingham, Charlotte, and Raleigh
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Quote:
Originally Posted by demonta4
It's too late for that, North Fulton shouldn't have done it. This is why we're in this situation today. South Fulton is being controlled by commissioners who don't even live in the area. This is why we have lackluster services.
South Fulton is already self sustaining, what would be the difference? (Besides better leadership, and local control) The Fulton Industrial area is included in the cityhood map, and I doubt the entire area could be annexed by July.
Uh, actually South Fulton is not self-sustaining otherwise the services wouldn't be so bad. You can only speculate at this point because there was a report released last week by the founder of the Citizens Against Cityhood in Dekalb, Ed Williams, and it is about South Fulton and Stonecrest.
One of the things he pointed out is how the feasibility study is from 2015 and recent annexations of multiple commercial properties cancels out large chunks of that study.
Uh, actually South Fulton is not self-sustaining otherwise the services wouldn't be so bad. You can only speculate at this point because there was a report released last week by the founder of the Citizens Against Cityhood in Dekalb, Ed Williams, and it is about South Fulton and Stonecrest.
One of the things he pointed out is how the feasibility study is from 2015 and recent annexations of multiple commercial properties cancels out large chunks of that study.
And once the CoA annexes the Fulton Industrial corridor, that will likely be the nail in the coffin.
And once the CoA annexes the Fulton Industrial corridor, that will likely be the nail in the coffin.
It seems the businesses would prefer to stay unincorporated. Its pretty unclear what will happen. Last time South Fulton voted on cityhood, it lost overwhelmingly.
If the residents of unincorporated South Fulton County decide to make themselves a city in November, it will become the state's ninth largest municipality overnight. Sorry, Johns Creek.
Supporters say people living in the area can generate the revenues needed to provide required services. And they think becoming a city would mean self-determination for about 87,000 people who reside in the large swath of land west of Atlanta, East Point, and College Park and north of Chattahoochee Hills. But voters might not be convinced.
South Fulton is the last part of the state's most populous county that hasn't been incorporated and is not overseen by local elected officials who decide what to buy with local tax money. But becoming a city involves serious financial decisions that will affect every resident and will determine what police force answers residents' 911 calls, what school system their children attend, and how much they pay in property taxes.
State Rep. Roger Bruce, D-Atlanta, a cityhood fan and author of the legislation that set up the referendum, says one of the benefits of setting up a new city will be local control.
"Right now that area is being governed by people who don't live in the area," says Bruce, referring to the Fulton County Commission, the elected leaders who oversee the county. "And as a result of that, they are not sensitive to the needs and the conditions under which people are living in the area."
Oh yeah, there are saboteurs trying to sabotage the annexations in Loch Lomond, Martin's Park, the Cottages of Cascade, and more annexation petitions into Atlanta submitted. They all are in cahoots with Bruce, Ladawn Blackett Jones, and Bill Edwards...
Mr. Driskell sounds like a lot of people I know in the unincorporated areas that are very much against this again because they feel like it is being rushed and no information is being facilitated to show the important details.
It might be time to start naming their names if they keep it up because it's better for everyone to know who is trying to sabotage so these very property owners desire to not be apart of this redeux of a failed experiment. That information will let these property owners know that the pro-municipalization groups are behind everything going on. Also let the citizens in these neighborhoods know this attempt is not about helping nobody and the pro-city agenda individuals are only out for themselves...
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