Bill to create Buckhead City fails in Georgia Senate

WSBTV.com News Staff
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Two bills looking to allow the Buckhead neighborhood to secede from the city of Atlanta and create a separate city of its own, have died in the Georgia Senate.

It failed by a 33-23 vote, with all Democrats in the chamber opposing the measure along with several GOP senators who helped cement its defeat. A vote on a separate cityhood proposal was still pending.

Shortly after the vote, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens released a statement, saying:

“Atlanta is one city, with one bright future.

“I am thankful to the bipartisan majority of the Georgia Senate who voted to reject SB 114. I am grateful to the large number of Atlantans—from parents to businesses to educational leaders—who stood up and spoke with a united voice for a united city.

“When I came into office, I committed to building strong bonds across Atlanta, including in Buckhead, and with our state’s leaders. We’ve delivered investments in public safety that have driven down crime, filled potholes and are moving Atlanta forward, together. But most importantly, we have listened to residents about their concerns and hopes, and we have responded.

“To my fellow Atlantans: whether you support or oppose deannexation, I will continue working with you to improve our services, to invest in our communities and ensure a safe city for all. Atlanta is a group project, and we will work every day of the week with you, on your behalf, and hearing your voices.”

The move also comes after Gov. Brian Kemp’s chief lawyer sent a memo to lawmakers Tuesday questioning many of the provisions of the controversial plan to transform Atlanta’s whitest and most affluent area into Buckhead City.

Executive Counsel David Dove also challenged the legality of the plans of Buckhead City proponents to collect taxes for the Atlanta city school system and continue enrolling students in it even after leaving Atlanta.

“How is this action constitutional given (1) Buckhead would lie outside the jurisdictional limits of Atlanta, (2) no referendum is proposed for residents to ratify such taxation, and (3) the Georgia Constitution fails to give any power to cities and counties to engage in the education of their residents outside of independent school districts?” Dove wrote.

Supporters of the secession say Atlanta isn’t doing enough to control crime and that Buckhead residents aren’t getting their tax money’s worth from municipal services.

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Kemp, a Republican, has forged a close relationship with current Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, a Democrat. Both Dickens and the city’s business leaders are bitterly opposed to secession, along with Atlanta’s overwhelmingly Democratic legislative delegation.

Democrats say supporters of Buckhead City are a noisy minority of residents in the area. No Atlanta lawmakers are sponsoring the bills.

While the legislation was bottled up last year, new Republican Lt. Gov. Burt Jones supported it while serving as a state senator and has allowed the bills to move forward.

The Atlanta school system also urged supporters to lobby Jones and senators against the bill.

“Formation of a City of Buckhead City would have a disastrous impact on the entire school district,” the city’s Board of Education wrote in a Wednesday statement.

The Associated Press contributed to this article.

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