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DEL.ICIO.USHow to create a Milton County with a majority vote of the Legislature
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
House Speaker Glenn Richardson met with a hand-picked group of reporters on Friday to talk about a range of issues.
One of topics was the establishment of a Milton County. Richardson says he’s neither for it nor against it, but is leaving that issue in the hands of his No. 2, Speaker pro tem Mark Burkhalter of Alpharetta — as he did with the creation of the city of Sandy Springs.
There’s no meaning to be drawn from House postponement of action on the secession from Fulton County this year, Richardson said — because it would likely require a constitutional amendment. That would require a two-thirds vote in both chambers, followed by a statewide referendum that can only be placed on general election ballots.
But the speaker acknowledged the existence of a back door on the issue, should pro-Miltonists fail to get their way with the Legislature. It’s a tough door, but a door nonetheless.
A constitutional amendment would be required to increase the number of Georgia counties from 159 to 160. But suppose two small counties in rural Georgia decided to consolidate, or could be persuaded to do so. Would the creation of Milton County then require a two-thirds vote in the Legislature?
“No,” the speaker replied.
Comments
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By Jason
January 26, 2007 1:55 PM | Link to this
Why would two rural counties decide to merge? That could mean the one of the sheriffs, a whole county commission, tax collector, tax accessor, etc would be out of a job. No one is going to agree to that and the political machines in both counties would crank up full blast to oppose it. The only way for it to happen would be if the Milton folks found some legal way to bribe the people in the two counties to merge. Given that Milton wants to undo a previous county merger, how could they tell these other counties that merging is a good thing?
By MrLiberty
January 26, 2007 2:36 PM | Link to this
I read a piece on Yahoo the other day about this whole county split thing. They of course were making it out to be a racial issue.
Let’s be clear on one thing. Taxes are theft by government. They are not the “price of civilizaition”, nor the dues one pays to belong to a society. They are simply the money that the government steals, sometimes at the point of a gun, on behalf of others in society.
Of course North Fulton wants to be separate again. The statistics in the story indicated that the folks in the north paid nearly 70% of the taxes but of couse got crappy services. The only argument against the secession was all the tax money that south Fulton would lose.
Let’s be clear on this as well. Essentially what we are saying here is that there are some poor people living in Fulton county who don’t want to rely on the charitable giving of their neighbors and don’t have either the desire or ability to take care of themselves. So instead of getting on Marta with their guns and travelling all the way up to the north end of the county and going door to door assaulting people and holding them up at gunpoint, the government will do it for them. It the northern folk decide that they have finally had enough, then the sourthern half of the county and possibly the rest of the counties will gang up on them for wanting to keep their money to spend as they see fit.
If that isn’t how you see this, then you haven’t the first clue about the true nature of taxation or what government is really about.
First let’s all let Milton secceed, then let’s talk about Georgia, and seccession from this ridiculous country.
By uncle jessie
January 26, 2007 2:41 PM | Link to this
Wake up Uncle Gene! Telfair & Dodge Kin put it on paper. Dem Sugar Creek boys been running both counties fer ever anyway. See you at Jaybird Springs to celebrate.
By constguy
January 26, 2007 2:58 PM | Link to this
It is not at all clear that the General Assembly has the power to divide a county into two new counties. The actual provision, Art. 9, Sec. 1, Par. 2, allows “the consolidation of two or more counties into one or the division of a county and the merger of portions thereof into other counties”. And it also requires a referendum “in each of the counties proposed to be consolidated, divided, or merged.” Even if a county can be divided without merging the parts into another county, which may not be the case, it gets a county-wide vote. As would the two counties to be merged.
By County-Guy
January 26, 2007 3:47 PM | Link to this
Dunno, but I betcha, counties can’t do nuthin’ without they get local legislation passed first. AN’ thet is if’n the local state delegation is a willin’ to pass a resolution to put it on a local referendum. Thet’ll take a whole bunch o’horse tradin’.
Milton is a purty fur-off possibility, boys an’ girls.
By Jason
January 26, 2007 4:01 PM | Link to this
constguy, good information. If the Milton folks decide not to try to raid areas that were never part of Milton (ie Buckhead and Sandy Springs), they could also offer up the part of Roswell that use to be Cobb County before the Milton-Fulton merger. Since that part of Roswell would be considered a merger into Cobb, that might get them around the provision to that requires a county merger.
Since this is mostly about money, I doubt they would be willing to let a big chunk of Roswell get left out of the new Milton but if they are desperate enough for the return of Milton and it is the only way possible, who knows what they would agree to.
By County-Guy
January 26, 2007 4:43 PM | Link to this
WAKE UP BOYS ‘N GIRLS in the LEGISLATURE! All of US out here sittin’ roun’ the ole cracker barrel got the answers to y’alls problems. The rural sheriffs and c’mishners ain’t gonna consolidate. So, here is yore Plan B. Let Milton form up—lots of good tax dollars there. Then, all of those high intentioned, charitable tax-rich counties layin’ aroun’ Fulton can annex lil’ chunks of Fulton County…absorbin’ its negative tax-base.
You could just leave the legislative district lines as they be now…they don’t pay no attention to county lines no how.
The legislature might have to put the matter to the voters inside the do-nut…but, they’ll all want to do the right thing by helping Fulton. In the end we would have one less poor county and one more county with a rich tax-base.
Jest let us no when y’all got another problem.
By Jamesr1991
January 26, 2007 7:38 PM | Link to this
I predicted this last year. They’ll do whatever they please.
By Jamesr1991
January 26, 2007 9:18 PM | Link to this
A prediction from 2005… I can’t prove it but, the fix is in… April 1, 2005
I’m going to repeat the title a number of times. This is no April Fools joke. You may read the AJC or the tea leaves either way you will soon come to the same conclusion.
State republicans pushed through a vote on self determination for Sandy Springs. Meanwhile the democrats are trying to get the number of the train that hit them. Unknown to the rest of the world the republicans tacked on a little amendment that keeps tax revenues in North Fulton. Again, democrats aren’t sure whether they’ve been mugged or not. What does this mean to us? It doesn’t sound good.
I can’t prove it but, the fix is in…you see they also created a storm with an ID voter bill. While democrats attempted to raise the dead and posture republicans snuck another in – a bill to make the rest of North Fulton a city named Milton in 2006!
Did you ever wonder why the rest of North Fulton didn’t seem to mind the creation of Sandy Springs as a city? No complaint about how their taxes would be affected. I can’t prove it but, the fix is in…they knew they would be next on the block. In the mean time Fulton County becomes less of a factor.
I have to give it to the republicans they figured if they couldn’t win Fulton County at the polls they would just dismantle it, district by district. I can’t prove it but, the fix is in… Check it out some guy in the AJC predicted the demise of Fulton County in the future because it will lose its tax base – so they think.
The fix goes even further. Over the last few years, the Fulton County School Board has built 17 new schools in Sandy Springs and North Fulton. There’s even a plan to build two new elementary schools in Sandy Springs with current and future funds when in reality there’s incredible growth in the south end of the county. In fact the BOE “Keeping Promises” report shows at least four new schools to be built in North Fulton and Sandy Springs (page 22) while the “Per Pupil and Capital Resource Allocation” shows only two.
A point that is even stranger, read the following from the “Per Pupil and Capital Resource Allocation” report.
What significant growth in Sandy Springs? If you review page one of the “Continuing to Close the Gap” report you will see a map that shows an area that is1/10 of the size of the for South Fulton.
Interesting enough quite a few of the Board of Ed reports break out Sandy Springs as it own entity along with North and South Fulton. It’s just their way of letting the Sandy Springs “100” know they are supporting them.
I can’t prove it but, the fix is in…after Sandy Springs then, Milton and a legislative slight of hand by the state legislature that will help the Fulton County Board of Education secede from the south end of the county. While the parents in South Fulton complain about the BOE they are quietly working on a plan to free themselves.
Unfortunately, that’s not the end. The republicans will move to consolidate a couple of South Georgia counties (the good ol’ boys will be willing to take one for Sonny), while creating a new 159th county north of Atlanta with six cities and no unincorporated area.
There you have it, the “fix” that will move Fulton County to the door step of insolvency. What’s worse, Chattahoochee Hill Country our neighbor right here in South Fulton is exploring city hood also. We have one chance to rescue our way of life from the hands of the bigots that seek their utopia.
In the remaining years we should work with our schools to improve them by rewarding those who are committed to teaching our children and getting results, build strong communities and work with our remaining elected officials to draw Fortune 500 companies to shore up our tax base. Otherwise we will be in a fix.
James Reese www.southfultonliving.com
By Joc
January 26, 2007 9:18 PM | Link to this
Development of a process to re-create a Milton County cannot be justified under Republican less government framework. If the Republican leadership say something I believe it.