Lawmakers got a preview Thursday of the divisive debate ahead of them as some residents of the Buckhead neighborhood seek to secede from the city of Atlanta.
During three hours of testimony, supporters and opponents of the creation of a city of Buckhead traded barbs about the driving force behind the push to create their own city and the effect it would have on Atlanta and other surrounding areas.
State Sen. Brandon Beach, an Alpharetta Republican, said he plans to file legislation later this month that would allow Buckhead voters to decide whether they want to leave the city of Atlanta. He began his testimony before the Senate State and Local Government Committee by showing a six-minute video compilation of crimes that have occurred in Buckhead in the past 18 months.
“That video clearly shows crime is the issue that’s really resonated and brought this issue to the forefront in the creation of a new city of Buckhead,” he said. “It’s unacceptable. We must get control of crime. And if we don’t, we won’t have a Buckhead.”
Beach and 12 of his Republican colleagues — none of whom represent Atlanta — are trying to bypass the traditional legislative process for cityhood, which generally requires support from local representatives.
Supporters of the measure say creation of the city is needed to combat a surge in violent crime in the Buckhead community and that Atlanta’s mayor and police force have not done enough to get the violence under control.
Bill White, the CEO of the Buckhead City Committee, said creation of a new city would allow it to hire 250 police officers and open a municipal court to quickly process misdemeanor crimes.
“By any known metric, the city of Atlanta has failed to provide even the basic city services to the residents of Buckhead, and a new city is our only hope,” said White, who moved to Atlanta three years ago.
Opponents say stripping Atlanta of the tax revenue generated by businesses and homeowners in Buckhead — a wealthy part of town — would cripple the city’s budget. They say residents should instead work with local elected officials to address their concerns.
If Buckhead residents are unhappy with the response of their elected officials, they should vote them out of office, said Tifton Mayor Julie Smith, who also serves on the board of the Georgia Municipal Association.
“The Buckhead City proposal is an attempt to circumvent the local election process they (residents) already have access to,” Smith said. “Instead of voting for a new mayor and a new city council, they wish to create an entirely new government without allowing for the entire city, the City Council and the citizens to have a say or vote.”
Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms is not running for reelection. Atlanta City Council President Felicia Moore and Councilman Andre Dickens are in a runoff to determine who will be the next mayor. White said a new Atlanta mayor will not help Buckhead.
“No one that I’ve talked to in Buckhead wants ‘Moore’ of the same, nor do they want the ‘Dickens’ scared out of us,” he said.
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