The effort to split Fulton County in two is back again
Eds note: This story originally published on Dec. 23, 2015.
Another legislative session brings another push to break Fulton County in two.
North Fulton Republicans will try again to split from some of the region’s poorest neighborhoods and form Milton County in the predominantly white, wealthy suburbs that crown Atlanta.
Georgia's constitution specifically limits the number of counties to 159. But H.R. 964 would lift that cap under a set of circumstances that just happens to fit the history of Milton County's absorption by its neighbor to the south in 1932 amid financial collapse. Our colleague Arielle Kass has the details:
Filed by Brad Raffensperger, House Resolution 964 would amend the state constitution so a county that existed previously but merged with another county could be recreated.If the county is re-created, the legislation says, the boundaries must be “generally similar” but would not have to be identical. The re-creation would have to be approved by voters in the proposed new county.
House Speaker pro tem Jan Jones, R-Milton. AJC file
The fight to resurrect Milton is a perennial one that's gained little traction even with Republicans in total control of the Legislature and state Rep. Jan Jones, a Milton Republican and an advocate of the breakup, in the top echelon of House leadership.
Democrats remain deeply opposed to a split, and critics often cite concerns about the long-standing contracts that MARTA and Grady Memorial Hospital have with the county. There’s also an image issue: Some worry that a secession attempt can harm the area’s reputation.
About the Author
Greg Bluestein is the Atlanta Journal Constitution's chief political reporter. He is also an author, TV analyst and co-host of the Politically Georgia podcast.
