AJC > Sandy Springs > Blog > Archives > 2008 > April > 28 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USHas Sandy Springs cityhood been worth it? You betcha
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Unless something radical happens our neighbors in Dunwoody will vote this summer on becoming a city, the way we did here in Sandy Springs almost three years ago.
The whole thing reminds me of those days when I was a kid and couldn’t wait to grow up. I imagined life was perfect as an adult. I could come and go as I pleased, I could stay up late, I could eat at McDonald’s every day, I could watch all the TV I wanted to, etc. Of course I didn’t consider getting and keeping a job, paying bills, laundry, paying taxes and some the other things that come with being an adult.
Many people had the same wishful feelings before Sandy Springs became a city - once we were out from under Fulton County life would be great. But at a recent forum in Dunwoody someone floated the question - did the folks over there want another level of government?
And I started thinking if we were asked about whether being a city was worth it, what would we say? Are we better off now, than we were when we were part of Fulton County? Is being a city everything we thought it would be?
Or perhaps the question should be do we feel like we’re better off? Has it been worth the effort.
On the plus side of the ledger we’re no under the Fulton County Commission, a group many people felt (myself included) did not have our best interests in mind. It was okay to collect our taxes but the money seemed to have a strange way of ending up elsewhere.
Indeed, this week I got an e-mail from our neighborhood association about the non-emergency police contact number. Several people have said they used that number and got an indifferent response. Digging a little deeper it was discovered those calls were still being routed to Fulton County Police, not the local Sandy Springs officers.
On other fronts there might be some homebuilders who aren’t happy with us being a city. I’ve heard complaints that the permitting process is slow. Likewise the city stepped in to make sure a builder couldn’t buy a piece of land and bulldoze every tree of the property - something else that didn’t make a lot of builders giddy as schoolgirls.
Traffic on Roswell Road is still a pain in the buns.
If I was talking to the folks in Dunwoody and I had one minute to tell them how I felt about life after incorporation I guess I would say this:
If you think becoming a city is going to solve all your problems think again because what is a problem to me is a non-issue to my neighbor.
If you think electing your mayor and city council will make your lives better from Day 1, you’re mistaken because those folks can’t say yes to everything. And they shouldn’t.
If you think everything that bugs you will get better overnight, think again. Situations that bother us are usually years in the making and can’t be undone in the blink of an eye.
But is it worth it to have the opportunity to control our own destiny, not to mention our day-to-day lives? Absolutely.
Permalink | Comments (8) | Post your comment | Categories: Jim Osterman
Comments
By Mark Tinsley
April 28, 2008 8:33 AM | Link to this
Jim,
Good points, I’d say that comparing FULCO services that Sandy Springs was beholden to prior to incorporation is NOT the same as DeKalb services to Dunwoody now.
DeKalb, with all of its’ many issues is still a better operation than FULCO and I’d like to see how things are in your city in three to five years.
How much will the “opportunity to control your own destiny…” really cost?
By ATL
April 28, 2008 10:53 AM | Link to this
If you want to have a nice honeymoon period where every time you buy a police car, outsource your services to private consultants (who aim to make a profit) you get good press then becoming a city is really great.
If you want to actually put your money where your mouth is and provide better, more competent and more responsive services with a new layer of goverment then you’ll have to work at it whether you are a city or remain an unincorporated county.
By ATL
April 28, 2008 10:58 AM | Link to this
If you want to have a nice honeymoon period where every time you buy a police car or outsource your services to CH2M Hill you get good press then becoming a city is really great. If you want to actually put your money where your mouth is and provide better, more competent and more responsive services with a new layer of goverment then you’ll have to work at it.
By Mark Tinsley
April 29, 2008 11:09 AM | Link to this
Proponents of Dunwoody incorporation are hosting a fundraiser so help pay for the cost of distributing the Carl Vinson study.
This study was hastily developed and relies on assumptions of key data that are not accurate. The proposed budget for the city is based on this study.
Guess who is hosting the fundraiser?
CH2MHill! ! !
Vote NO to MORE GOVERNMENT!
By Sarah Doolittle
April 29, 2008 11:21 AM | Link to this
I cannot imagine that some of the same petty and intrusive folks that spitefully thwarted a local car wash business in Dunwoody would be the ‘boss’ of me.
I cannot imagine the Dunwoody Decorating police, aka a 500% increase in code enforcement, making up for city revenue shortfalls by citations.
Sen. Weber stated in House testimony that an increase in Police patrols on 285 would augement budget shortfalls.
Businesses who don’t vote on incorporation are ‘on-the-hook’ for revenue deficiencies in terms of fees, licenses, and fines.
Not this incorporation, and not with $4.00 gas!
By sickandtiredtaxpayer
April 29, 2008 12:50 PM | Link to this
I have listened to the arguments pro and con for a city of Dunwoody.
Fact is, I am no fan of big County Government, yet, DeKalb County services, police & fire, and especially Sanitation, Water and Sewer all seem to work just fine.
Here’s my point: DeKalb County stated they will cause the GA Revenue commissioner to impound $1.4MM HOST revenues Dunwoody must have for cityhood. This is not accounted for in the proposed budget.
So on Day 1 the City of Dunwoody is at legal war with its’ vendor for sewer, water, fire, and sanitation.
How will this improve my quality of life?
The County wants $$$, the City will wants $$$, the School Board wants $$$$$.
Why didn’t Fran or Dan talk about cityhood when they were running for office? This effort favors developers and big money interests and I am not for it.
By DJ
May 1, 2008 11:46 AM | Link to this
When a City can operate at the level of service the City of Sandy Springs does, and still end the year with a surplus in the Millions… maybe they should offer a little help to Mayor Shirly Franklin and the City of Atlanta…..Good Job City leadership of Sandy Springs!
By PP
May 6, 2008 9:25 PM | Link to this
Why doesn’t someone ask the businesses in City Walk how they like what they’re getting from the city of Sandy Springs? So far it’s twice as expensive to pay for a business license (including the “flat” fee, whatever that is, the “administrative” fee, plus what most other counties charge for the license. It’s also city council members planning community events that take up all the parking in City Walk. Add to that the sign patrol who won’t let businesses put even a tasteful “sale” sign out on the sidewalk. Now add on the state imposed “inventory tax” for everything in the business that didn’t sell at the end of the year. Georgia is one of only 11 states that still have this yummy tax. Yeah, it’s just dreamy. Don’t worry though, pretty soon there won’t be any businesses left in City Walk to complain about anything.