It was an occasion for Fulton County residents to express their thoughts to the elected officials who represent them under the Gold Dome. But by the end of the Jan. 3 meeting at Atlanta’s Central Presbyterian Church, Fulton County legislators had received a diplomatic but determined earful from south Fulton residents who comprised the majority of those attending.

Several south Fulton residents left no doubt about their opinion of methods used by south Fulton cities earlier in 2006 that resulted in the annexation of more than 13,000 acres of unincorporated land. Those acres would have become a part of the new cities of South Fulton and Chattahoochee Hills if approved by voters in June. References were made to cities using scare tactics to convince residents to request annexation, with cities on other occasions acting virtually at the behest of developers, especially with property annexed using the 100 percent method along South Fulton Parkway and Oakley Industrial Boulevard. Their remarks on annexation were met by a similar level of consternation by Rep. Roger Bruce.

“We didn’t anticipate the rampant lying by the cities about the benefits of coming into their cities. I didn’t think they would do that,” Bruce said. “Developers saw an opportunity to come in under the 100 percent method and they took advantage of it. The cities need additional tax base. What’s in it for the people being annexed? Nothing as far as I can tell.”

Several Steering Committee members of South Fulton Concerned Citizens, Inc. (SFCC) addressed the legislative panel. SFCC has been the driving force in establishing the City of South Fulton. A separate group of south Fulton residents is spearheading the move to form the City of Chattahoochee Hills.

SFCC members included Bruce Moody, Benny Crane, Sandra Hardy and Holman Edmonds. Moody referenced the “distinct unfairness” of the annexation process that left much of the potential commercial and established industrial properties vulnerable to annexation. He also questioned the annexation process and the seeming lack of concern by some in the legislature that the mass annexations were occurring.

“Atlanta didn’t pick and choose parcels before Sandy Springs became a city,” Moody said. “We (the legislature) sat back like it was fine and said nothing when it happened in south Fulton. Here on the south side we’ve got to fight for everything. We want self-determination and we want you to stand up for us.

Like Moody and others, SFCC member Benny Crane called for legislators to allocate $150,000 to complete a business plan for the new city, a request also made by Chattahoochee Hill Country Alliance Executive Director Terry Demeo-King and Serenbe resident Fred Vetter on behalf of the proposed City of Chattahoochee Hills. Crane and others commented on the new cities of Milton and John’s Creek having received the same amount for business plans for those cities.

Crane also asked for legislative support for citizens’ right to vote for the new cities and for support of a Freeport tax exemption for the City of South Fulton. Crane suggested that the veil over Fulton Industrial Boulevard be removed, paving the way for the area to be potentially included in the new city.

Edmonds echoed Crane’s requests, citing the need for the legislature to “take up the course of justice” for the citizens of south Fulton County.

“We’re serious about this,” Edmonds said.

Hardy informed legislators that University of Georgia would begin the needed business plans if funds are budgeted for those studies in the upcoming session of the General Assembly. She was adamant that the plans for the future of south Fulton be properly allowed to come to fruition and not be derailed by the machinations of the cities that were driven by a spirit of “annexation by greed.”

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