Fulton County commissioners are fighting another state-level effort to change their government structure.
On Wednesday they instructed lobbyist Mike Vaquer to work against a bill introduced this week by state Rep. Kathy Ashe, D-Atlanta, that would beef up the powers of the commission chairperson. The bill, identical to one Ashe introduced in 2009, would make the position full-time and give the chair authority to hire and fire the county manager and department heads, so long as a majority of the board approves.
"This is another attack on Fulton County," Commissioner Bill Edwards said. "We're used to attacks, and we ward them off."
Chairman John Eaves cast the lone vote against fighting the measure, asking his colleagues to hold off until after their March 30 planning retreat. "Fulton County is the only county in metro Atlanta that does not have a full-time chairman," he said after the meeting, declining to comment further.
Ashe's proposal, designed to give the county a strong central leader, is the latest attempt to reform a government criticized as dysfunctional and fiscally bloated. Ashe and House Majority Whip Ed Lindsey, R-Atlanta, share a common goal of heading off north Fulton Republicans' campaign to secede and form Milton County, which would shrink the county's coffers by hundreds of millions of dollars.
Because the bill is local legislation, Wednesday's Crossover Day deadline doesn't apply, so it could still pass, Vaquer told the commission. Lindsey has said that in past years, such attempts been blocked by the county's Democratically-controlled legislative delegations, and he viewed Ashe's ascension to House delegation chairwoman as a strategical advantage.
Several Fulton commissioners said they don't appreciate the interference.
"I hate to see them tampering with us," Commissioner Tom Lowe said. "I think we've got a good form of government. Look at our financial situation."
Emma Darnell said she doesn't understand why, of all counties in the metro area, Fulton is being singled out. "We're not broke, and nobody's been indicted," she said.
Ashe's bill would also give the chairperson power to set agendas and make appointments to committees and authorities. Commissioner Liz Hausmann said having both a full-time chairman and a county manager would be redundant, and she's concerned that conservative commissioners, already outnumbered 5-2 by Democrats, would be marginalized.
"What use is there of having a north Fulton commissioner if I can't get something on the agenda?" she said.
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