Union City became the first of the South Fulton cities to hold a public meeting to address residents’ questions and concerns about the proposed annexation of 7,000 acres, a move that would more than double the geographical size of the city.

Perhaps the most significant portion of the meeting for current residents and those who choose to be annexed was Mayor Ralph Moore’s statement that the current number of firefighters and police officers can meet the city’s public safety and law enforcement needs, regardless the size of the city. Also responding to the issue, Police Chief Mike Isome said his department currently employs 53 patrol officers. He said new officers will be added incrementally as needed.

“Right now the residential population is roughly 14,000. On a day to day basis it’s probably closer 95,000-100,000 when you consider the flow through (traffic),” Isome said. “I don’t know how many residents would be included in the annexation process. Right now we are in the process of structuring the agency to add additional officers as the need arises.”

Responding to a question about possible city tax increases to cover additional police and fire service coverage for an expanded city, Moore said the question would have to be determined at a later date.

“I think you know as well as I know that time will determine whether any increase in costs will require us to increase the millage rate,” he said. “We have no idea what the millage rate will be until we know what the demand for services will be.”

City Administrator Terrell Jacobs had begun the meeting earlier by explaining the annexation process and providing an explanation of the city’s map of 17 areas for proposed annexation. His presentation included a overview of a study for the future development of a proposed Town Center retail area in and around Shannon Mall.

“This is your opportunity to make a choice,” Jacobs said. “We feel good about our level of service. If you choose to be annexed that level of service will be provided to you.”

Comments and questions from residents about annexation and other matters were interspersed throughout the two hour meeting. A full contingent of city staff was present to assist in the responses. Questions surfaced about the value and advantages of being annexed into the city, the extent of fire and police coverage of the areas annexed and the means by which people would indicate their preference on annexation.

Isome gave a lengthy response to a question about crime surfaced by a county resident who lives in the vicinity of High Point Road. It is a topic frequented by area residents at City Council meetings.

“Any time you have a large concentration of people in a small geographical area, automatically you’re going to have more problems. What we’re falling victim to are the nuisance type crimes, we don’t have serious crimes areas. Our serious crime rates have not gone up,” Isome said. “We’re not having people robbed and raped and killed. But we do have instances of unruly children not being supervised. Whether you are in the city limits or not those problems are going to be there.”

“The Police Department of Union City prides itself on addressing problems as they come up. One of the challenges we have before us now is to educate the people who live in these communities, most of which are newer residents who just moved into our area. They expect a certain service from the Police Department that’s not often times realistic. And some of the people that have come to city council meetings and are spreading information around certain areas of town fall in that category. It’s just that they have an unrealistic expectation as to what we can do.”

The point Isome made was exactly the same as a vocal group of High Point Road residents continue to make at City Council meetings. Residents contend that the multiple city-approved, high-density subdivisions that fill the west end of High Point Road are contributing to the crime problems in that area. Residents surfaced those same issues again Tuesday when the city Planning Commission considered the rezoning and annexation of property in an unincorporated island in the High Point Road area. The commission voted to recommend a higher residential density that residents had requested, paving the way for even more homes to be built in the already overcrowded area. The city council will likely approve the recommendation.

Also at the June 1 meeting, city attorney Dennis Davenport took the floor on a few occasions to explain the annexation process and the recent legislative session that paved the way for the unincorporated areas of South Fulton County to gain the right to vote in June 2007 to form their own cities or to remain unincorporated. During one of his explanations, Davenport emphasized the uncertainty of the new City of South Fulton and its means of providing city services as a reason for those in the annexation areas to choose to come into Union City, a city already established and providing services. Davenport failed to note that he had been one of the principle players earlier this year that had attempted to block the unincorporated areas from having that right to vote. Many of those living in the unincorporated areas adjacent to Union City said they had rather form their own city than be annexed into Union City or the other cities of South Fulton County.

Union City will conduct three more annexation meetings. The June 6 meeting will be held at Body of Christ Church International on Flat Shoals Road, followed by a June 8 meeting at Open Word Christian Ministries in Fairburn and a June 15 meeting at city hall. All meetings will run from 5-8 p.m.

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