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While some lawmakers focus on tearing Fulton County apart, others are pushing a series of bills that would drastically reform county government and the court system.

Rep. Edward Lindsey (R-Atlanta), who chaired a study committee on Fulton government last year, says he hopes that the changes proposed and others still to come will show the county that it can adapt and stay intact.

The package of 10 bills introduced this session calls for changes to the court system, sheriff's office and County Commission structure. A planned bill that would reduce the number of commissioners from seven to five will not be introduced until next year at the earliest, Lindsey said.

"Some of these bills have been put forth, quite frankly, to begin the discussions," Lindsey said. "Others we plan to push through this year."

The bills continue a lengthy period of reflection and reform for Fulton residents and leaders. Over the past three years, four new cities have been formed to take over many services once controlled by the county. All three were formed from long-standing complaints that Fulton government was too big, too wasteful and too expensive.

Lindsey's study committee, which met through the fall, brought together a group of lawmakers, most of them Republican, and a handful of civic leaders. The group finished its work in late December with a 20-page final report that was not released until late January.

It has taken several more weeks to turn the recommendations into legislation.

Rep. Wendell Willard (R-Sandy Springs), who co-authored several of the bills with Lindsey, said it is not possible to tell now how much change would occur even if all the bills passed.

"We know how bad off we are," Willard said. "We hope this will all make us better. You know you have a dysfunctional government."

Lindsey said he's not even going to try to push some of the most controversial bills, including ones that would strip the sheriff of power to handle courthouse security and serve civil papers for the Superior Court.

He said he hopes to turn three bills into law before the current term ends.

They would make the commission chairman's post a full-time one and invest more authority in it; increase the administrative duties of the chief Superior Court judge; and call for a review of every board and authority in the county.

State Rep. Bob Holmes (D-Atlanta) served on the committee but wound up as its biggest critic. All three reforms Lindsey hopes to pass this year are sound, Holmes said, but he complained that some of the proposals Lindsey already has agreed to slow were based on hearsay.

"If you don't do the study, your decision is nonsense," Holmes said.

Many Northside residents and leaders say the only true fix is to split the county in two and re-create Milton County from the suburban areas north of Atlanta.

Some city residents fear the committee's proposals never will satisfy people in north Fulton.

"The people who are down on Atlanta aren't going to change," state Sen. Vincent Fort (D-Atlanta) said.