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Residents sound off on Sandy Springs

By BEN NELMS
bnelms@TheCitizenNews.com

The possibility of the north Fulton County area of Sandy Springs becoming a city was the topic of concern April 28 at a South Fulton town hall meeting at the Georgia International Convention Center. More than 200 residents attended to hear information and express their thoughts on the upcoming vote and the ramifications for South Fulton.

Entitled “Incorporation of Sandy Springs: Financial Impact and Options for Consideration for South Fulton,” the event was coordinated by Fulton County Commissioner Bill Edwards. He opened with remarks related to the June 21 Sandy Springs referendum and later heard from residents wanting to weigh in on the topic.

“This is probably one of the most serious things that we will have to be forced with in our lives,” Edwards said at the beginning of the session. “And when the day is over and the dust settles, South Fulton will have to stand.”

Questions and comments from a number of residents covered a broad range of topics. These included whether an all-white city could be established and, if that occurs, what the economic fate of unincorporated South Fulton might be. Other residents spoke specifically about the ramifications of Sandy Springs incorporation in terms of the impact on county services such as police and fire protection. Several questioned whether Fulton County commissioners had begun to formulate concrete plans for the expansion of the tax base through economic development, stressing that such plans must be ongoing and in place if the incorporation goes through.

A significant number of residents displayed the determination to overcome any obstacles that might be manifested as a result of incorporation. Sandy Springs didn’t just jump up over night and decide they wanted to become a city, said one man. We can take care of ourselves, said another man, as long as we manage it well.

Areas of county government that would be affected if Sandy Springs becomes a city, said Edwards, include police and fire protection, parks and recreation, public works, economic development and information technology. He provided several options that might be considered to offset the loss of revenue if Sandy Springs becomes a city. Those included establishing a stormwater utility, establishing a fire tax district, utilizing the existing Reserve Fund account and increasing property taxes. These or other options that can successfully address the future of South Fulton County deserve consideration, he said.

Edwards said he believed the bill that paved the way for the June 21 local referendum by Sandy Springs residents to vote incorporation up or down is unconstitutional. The U.S. Department of Justice is currently reviewing the matter to determine if federal guidelines are being complied with, he said.

Referencing the events of past years, Edwards said the old Campbell County snatched Milton County from the jaws of adversity. What is happening today, he said, is like slapping your mother.

“Why should Sandy Springs become a city with a two-year transition period that benefits Sandy Springs but hurts South Fulton?” he said. “If they want to be a city, then God bless them, but let them go to the bank and borrow the money.”

Campbell County was created in 1828 from land taken from Carroll, Coweta, Fayette and DeKalb counties. Milton County, comprising what is now the northernmost portion of Fulton, was formed in 1857 from portions of Cherokee, Cobb and Forsyth counties. Campbell and Milton merged with Fulton in 1932, at which time Roswell was ceded to Cobb County. The Sandy Springs area was settled in the early 1800s and became a part of Fulton County in 1853.

The 37.7-square-mile area comprising Sandy Springs is home to nearly 86,000 people, according to the 2000 census, with a median family income of more than $60,000 and a median home value of $345,000.