Prediction - Buckhead City - Revamped

[ATLMidcity]

Since there has been an effort by some Buckhead residents to secede from the city of Atlanta and form their own city, I would like to conduct an unscientific poll to see what SSP thinks.

And, since many of you on the forum treat Buckhead like a suburban enclave rather than an integral part of Atlanta, the question must be asked:

WILL Buckhead residents vote to form a separate city? Your reply is private.

I added a 3rd option because it was in the back of my mind and then this happened:

Originally Posted by shivtim

Where's the option for "this will never come to a vote"?

[shivtim]

Relevant: Reported crime in Atlanta and Buckhead is down.

[NYbyWAYofGA]

Originally Posted by shivtim

Relevant: Reported crime in Atlanta and Buckhead is down.

So, the question is, will this trend stop people in Buckhead from wanting to secede? If so, when crime trend back up, who's to say that they won't start the secession talks back up again...?

[NYbyWAYofGA]

....

[skapunkskatedude]

Originally Posted by NYbyWAYofGA

So, the question is, will this trend stop people in Buckhead from wanting to secede? If so, when crime trend back up, who's to say that they won't start the secession talks back up again...?

I’m not sure there’s a real push for Buckhead to secede, neither from the majority of residents nor any resident politicians. It really seems to me that this whole movement is entirely politically motivated, all the way from Bill White and his team to David Perdue. The last thing these people need is for it to actually happen because it would expose just how stupid it is (I feel uniquely qualified to say that being British and having seen this exact same thing happen after Brexit).

Talking about it brings in money for politicians. That’s the whole purpose of it.

[ATLMidcity]

Well if history is an indicator of what could have if Buckhead was successful in seceding, we only need to look to Mayor Shirley Franklin's decision to allow Sandy Springs to vote to incorporate.
Once Sandy Springs was allowed to incorporate, the state of Georgia decided to put the brakes on the incorporation process. Then state legislature decided to open the flood gates and allow any un-incorporated area in the state to vote to become a city. Hence, all of Fulton and DeKalb (and some parts of Gwinnett) decided to take up the measure.

Imagine what would happen if Buckhead was allowed to secede. Would a similar process happen to other cities in Georgia? Would the wealthier parts of Savannah, Macon, Augusta, and Columbus follow suit?

[L41A]

Huh, how did Mayor Franklin decide to allow Sandy Springs to vote to incorporate?

Mayor Franklin (or any mayor) has no jurisdiction of an unincorporated area like Sandy Springs was at the time. Furthermore, the voting process is authorized and administered at the state and county level.

Originally Posted by ATLMidcity

Well if history is an indicator of what could have if Buckhead was successful in seceding, we only need to look to Mayor Shirley Franklin's decision to allow Sandy Springs to vote to incorporate.
Once Sandy Springs was allowed to incorporate, the state of Georgia decided to put the brakes on the incorporation process. Then state legislature decided to open the flood gates and allow any un-incorporated area in the state to vote to become a city. Hence, all of Fulton and DeKalb (and some parts of Gwinnett) decided to take up the measure.

Imagine what would happen if Buckhead was allowed to secede. Would a similar process happen to other cities in Georgia? Would the wealthier parts of Savannah, Macon, Augusta, and Columbus follow suit?

[ATLMidcity]

Originally Posted by L41A

Huh, how did Mayor Franklin decide to allow Sandy Springs to vote to incorporate?

Mayor Franklin (or any mayor) has no jurisdiction of an unincorporated area like Sandy Springs was at the time. Furthermore, the voting process is authorized and administered at the state and county level.

You're absolutely correct: This is from Wikipedia, which we all know is NOT the best source for confirmation, but it's on point in this instance.

Legislators representing Atlanta and southwestern Fulton County, who feared that tax revenue would be lost from incorporation, blocked the bills,[7] using the procedural requirement that all local legislation be approved first by a delegation of representatives from the affected area.

When the Republican Party gained a majority in both houses of the Georgia General Assembly in 2005, the procedural rules previously used to prevent a vote by the full chamber were changed so that the bill was handled as a state bill and not as a local bill.[citation needed] The assembly also repealed the requirement that new cities must be at least 3 miles (4.8 km) from existing cities that had stymied previous attempts to incorporate due to Sandy Springs directly bordering both Roswell and Atlanta.[citation needed] The bill allowing for a referendum on incorporation was introduced and passed as HB 37.[12] The referendum initiative was approved by the Assembly and signed by Governor Sonny Perdue.

[shivtim]

New poll:

The poll of 400 Buckhead registered voters was conducted by North Star Research and Whit Ayres, a well-known GOP pollster, from Jan. 16-19, with a margin of error of plus or minus 4.9 percent. It shows Buckhead voters now oppose splitting away from Atlanta 51 percent to 40 percent.

...Mayor Andre Dickens’ approval rating in the Buckhead neighborhood, which is 50 percent favorable, compared to 14 percent unfavorable. That’s a major change from Dickens’ June rating of 7 percent favorable, 6 percent unfavorable, with 69 percent of voters not knowing who Dickens was.

[ATLMidcity]

https://www.ajc.com/news/atlanta-new...OVCBHHIM7Y4WI/

Buckhead cityhood stalled according to breaking news.

From the AJC: The effort was dealt a major blow Friday after House Speaker David Ralston said he wanted to pump the brakes on the cityhood discussion and give new Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens time to implement his crime plan. The news came a day after Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan said the effort was in “pause mode” until 2023.

[ATLMidcity]

The Jolt: What Buckhead cityhood’s demise says about Georgia politics...

https://www.ajc.com/politics/politic...JXGFN5XBZXDVE/

[ThrashATL]

Mayor Dickens will get a chance to sort things out with Buckhead, address concerns, etc. If he doesn't, I can see this becoming a big deal again.

[Labtec]

2/23 Mike Luckovich: Mounted


https://www.ajc.com/opinion/mike-luc...NWGGKKZDNJUSA/

[atlantaguy]

^This is priceless, Labtec! Even looks like Bill White.

[Libertarian]

Seems to me crime is more of an issue on the southside and westside and not Buckhead. The real issue for some may be property taxes. The perception is, Buckhead subsidizes the rest of Atlanta.

[ATLMidcity]

Originally Posted by Libertarian

Seems to me crime is more of an issue on the southside and westside and not Buckhead. The real issue for some may be property taxes. The perception is, Buckhead subsidizes the rest of Atlanta.

#BLM, but many believe white lives are more valuable.
That perception (and reality) may have been true pre-2000, but that was before development in Midtown, Atlantic Station, West Midtown, the Upper Westside, Old Fourth Ward, and the Beltline exploded.

[Libertarian]

that was before development in Midtown, Atlantic Station, West Midtown, the Upper Westside, Old Fourth Ward, and the Beltline exploded

Can't take issue with your point.
Re BLM, yes, it's black history month. Question: Do you know which were the three main tribal groups from whom slaves were poached and why? The Igbo, Fula, and Mandinga. Those were proud warriors the slavers grabbed, but their tribal groups were disunited and didn't have a common defense. Learning from this, is why many of us support a strong union within the boundaries of this country and truly believe the pledge of allegiance.