Other cityhood efforts in limbo
Legislation to create the cities of Stonecrest and Greenhaven may not make it out of the General Assembly. Read more on B1.
A bill that would allow south Fulton residents to form a new city cleared the state House of Representatives on Friday.
Representatives approved House Bill 514 by a vote of 148-21. It would allow residents of unincorporated south Fulton County to vote in November on forming the new city.
The vote cheered supporters of the proposed city of South Fulton, who waited all week for the House to take up the measure.
“We are very excited and relieved that it has passed the House,” said Rafer Johnson, the chairman of the Coalition for South Fulton Now. “Now on to the Senate.”
But the bill’s fate is far from certain. A similar measure died last year in the Senate without a floor vote.
The South Fulton bill is one of several measures that could continue a parade of new metro Atlanta cities that began a decade ago. On Wednesday, the House approved bills that would allow residents of LaVista Hills (House Bill 520) and Tucker (House Bill 515) in DeKalb County to incorporate.
The city of South Fulton would include all the remaining unincorporated areas of Fulton County: more than 90,000 residents south of Atlanta, north of Chattahoochee Hills and west of College Park. If the bill passes and voters approve the city in November, they would elect a mayor and City Council during the 2016 presidential preference primary.
Supporters say the city would give residents greater control over zoning and services such as police and fire protection. Fulton County currently provides those services, which are overseen by seven county commissioners — most of whom live elsewhere.
Some residents say they'd rather be annexed into Atlanta or other existing cities than join a new one. Rep. Pat Gardner, D-Atlanta, spoke for them in opposing HB 514 on the House floor.
Gardner sponsored a rival bill, House Bill 587, which would allow residents of a large chunk of unincorporated Fulton to vote in November on annexing into Atlanta. She noted that south Fulton residents overwhelmingly rejected forming a new city in 2007, but she said residents haven't had a chance to vote on whether to annex into Atlanta.
Rep. Virgil Fludd, D-Tyrone, said Atlanta has had years to annex territory but hasn't taken advantage of the opportunity.
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