What now?

That was the reaction of many of the stunned South Fulton residents leaving the Coweta County Commission chambers after the Commission turned down their annexation request on Friday.

The 3-2 vote ended nearly eight years of attempts by a group of South Fulton residents trying to leave Fulton County and become a part of Coweta.

Bill Creel, who helped lead the drive for annexation, thanked the board for their consideration and knew it was a tough decision to make.

Commissioner Leigh Schlumper, who sided with commissioners Lawrence Nelms and Robert Wood in defeating the proposal, said her decision was never really based on cost proposals.

She focused on her constituents who had called her and said the county was already growing too fast. Schlumper said she didn't want South Fulton residents who were annexed to feel like second class citizens because services could not be provided.

Nelms, who would have represented the annexed citizens, suggested that the county get in touch with its legislators to see if a county-wide referendum could be drawn up to let all the citizens of the county decide the issue.

Nelms said he interpreted the 100-year-old law's intent as allowing a man to de-annex a portion of his property if a county line went through the middle of the property.

While Creel is looking for any avenue to let the South Fulton residents into Coweta, he's not sure the referendum would be the best idea since all the residents would not have the volume of information the commissioners had to make their decision.

Commissioner Jim McGuffey, who favored the annexation, said it was the decision that had cost him the most amount of sleep in his six years on the board.

"The decision's been made, it's time to move on," he said.