When Sandy Springs became the first of metro Atlanta’s new cities, it pioneered a novel way to run local government, with services delivered by companies and just a handful of public employees.

The outsourced model of government soon became the template for each city that followed. Those new communities sought professional management of parks, business licensing, courts and more.

But 12 years into the cityhood movement, these young municipalities are straying from their original, rigid reliance on privatized government.

“It wasn’t all that it promised to be,” former Brookhaven Mayor Rebecca Chase Williams said.

To read more about the privatization model, and what cities are doing, read the full story only at myAJC.com.

About the Authors

Keep Reading

A Fulton County commissioner said he had a responsibility to oppose the Republican Party's nominees: Julie Adams (left), who voted against certifying last year's primary election, and Jason Frazier, who has challenged the eligibility of thousands of voter registrations. (Arvin Temkar/AJC 2023)

Credit: Arvin Temkar

Featured

People carrying a giant pride flag participate in the annual Pride Parade in Atlanta on Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024. (Miguel Martinez/AJC)

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez