The possibility of a delayed vote on the future of the new City of South Fulton became reality earlier this week. A signature on the enabling legislation by Gov. Sonny Perdue did not provide the required amount of time needed to properly advertise the election. The vote might come as early as September.
Originally set for June 19, the vote will have to be postponed even though House Bill (HB) 725, the legislation identifying the new municipality’s city limits, has been signed into law. The reason for the delay involves a procedural process under Georgia statutes requiring that the election be advertised more than 29 days before the vote, said Fulton County Registration Chief John Sullivan. that time frame had expired by the time Perdue signed HB 725 into law, Sullivan said.
Another hurdle to cross in order to be able to have the vote in September is a pre-clearance by U.S. Dept. of Justice. The approval process customarily takes approximately 60 days, Sullivan said. Even with the 60-day time frame, the approval would give Fulton County sufficient time to have the election advertised.
While the September vote is generally expected to take place, additional questions by Dept. of Justice could extend the delay until November or beyond.
The delay did not alter the plans of the pro-city South Fulton Concerned Citizens, Inc. (SFCC) organization from continuing to inform residents about the issues facing city-hood. Group members Benny Crane, Sandra Hardy, Nicole Cason, Michael Venable and George Nicholson met with Fife community residents Tuesday at Renaissance South Park to discuss the advantages and concerns surrounding the vote to approve the new charter and bring the new city into operation.
The pro-city organizers said anyone interested in obtaining additional information on the new City of South Fulton shoudl visit www.southfultonconcernedcitizens.org
In a related matter, the June 19 vote on the new City of Chattahoochee Hills will occur as scheduled.