Southside commissioner holds town hall on GOP plans

Southside residents can get an earful on Republican efforts to reshape the Fulton County government at a public forum Tuesday, held by Commissioner Bill Edwards and at least seven pastors opposing GOP plans. Edwards, a Democrat, would be drawn into the same district as his closest commission ally in redistricting plan approved by the state House on Friday.

The town hall meeting will be at 7 p.m. at Jackson Memorial Baptist Church, 534 Fairburn Road, N.W., Atlanta. It will focus on House bills 170, 171 and 172, which would let voters decide whether to double the homestead exemption and cost the county $48 million; give north Fulton another commissioner; and take away new employees’ appeal rights if they are fired, demoted or suspended.