Yes, Those Are My Words

In 2007, I was dead set against forming a City of South Fulton. I actually wrote a piece that appeared in “The Citizen”. See it here. Some seven plus years later. Local gadfly Harvey Davis is attempting to provoke outrage because things have changed and I now see value in forming a city. As a matter of fact, I’ve written numerous blogs and created several videos in support of a city of South Fulton.

What Davis and those “needing more information” won’t tell you is they have personal disagreements with the leadership of the various organizations seeking to form a city of South Fulton because most are Democrats. Sandtown and South Fulton have a lot of black republicans who along ideological lines don’t want a city run by mostly Democrats, that’s their right. The problem lies with those that hide behind various monikers on blogs and in community newsletter only touting the negatives of Fulton County and formation of a new city for South Fulton. I careless about the political ideology of those seeking to form a city and more care about their abilities to understand the financial viability, operations, potential growth and vision for a new city. Davis edits the Sandtown Community Association newsletter and sends out every negative story he can find about Fulton County/South Fulton. Often the pieces are in the “Georgia Unfiltered” or “Home Rule News” blogs. BTW one of them has gone as far as to create a “Proposed City of South Fulton” page on Facebook when they don’t support a city.

What changed my mind? The Great Recession hitting in 2008 was the catalyst. I like hundreds of homeowners saw the value of my largest asset drop in value by nearly one-half. In order to keep the same level of services, Fulton County had to raise property taxes in unincorporated South Fulton from less than five mill in 2006 to well over eleven today. We as citizens accepted those increases because wanted the services. Our home values in South Fulton are a number of years away from being where they were before the Recession. Therefore, our taxes will have to be raised every year just to maintain the same level of services. That’s not sustainable no more than Kasim Reed telling Sandtown that he can annex them and not institute a property tax increase for ten years.

A city of South Fulton would bring in additional revenue of $20+ million dollars in Local Option Sales Taxes and other fees that are currently collected by Fulton County. The additional revenue makes a city possible and financially viable. As for the various groups seeking a city, things have changed on that front as well. First and foremost they are reaching out to the numerous communities providing information and input that wasn’t there in 2007.  Those that claim they don’t have enough information are using it as an excuse.  Whatever information you are seeking you can be found it at one of these websites South Fulton United and Coalition for South Fulton Now. Nobody says you are going to like it but, I’ve found it to be credible.

The attempt to discredit me or anyone supporting a City of South Fulton is foolishness. It goes to the old political ploy of trying to destroy the messenger when the idea is strong. My support for a city of South Fulton is not wavering because the alternatives are higher taxes and fewer services. A city of South Fulton is the best option. I will admit I do want to change the name. A variation of something Creek would be ideal.