South Fulton, Georgia
Encyclopedia
South Fulton is the unofficial nickname of the last remaining unincorporated area
region of Fulton County, Georgia
, United States. It was a proposed municipality
, to comprise all of the remaining unincorporated land Fulton, southwest of East Point
and College Park
. This area is known to residents as "unincorporated". The communities of Red Oak
, Cooks Crossing, Stonewall, Tell, Fife, Campbellton
, Ben Hill
, Sandtown, Cliftondale, Cochran Mill, and Peters Woods (a few of which were formerly pre-American Civil War
cities) are all to be found in the unincorporated area.
In 2007, the region voted in a referendum
to form a municipality
. If passed it would have made Fulton County
the only county in Georgia
to be made up entirely of municipalities. The legislation authorizing the referendum was sponsored by State Senator Kasim Reed
, a member of the Georgia State Senate. Although the area has many low-density suburb
s, it would be called a "city
", the only type of municipality
currently allowed under Georgia law
.
The referendum was a direct result of the long-fought incorporation of Sandy Springs, on the opposite side of Atlanta
(the county seat
). After that success in 2005, Johns Creek
and Milton
followed in 2006, and Chattahoochee Hill Country (now Chattahoochee Hills
), located in extreme southwest Fulton County, voted the same in June 2007.
While each of these passed by huge margins (several times as many for as against), the September 2007 referendum
in South Fulton was just the opposite, with an overwhelming 85% voting against incorporation. With such a major defeat, it appears that the elimination of the county government's home rule
through total municipalization
will not occur in the near future. According to the vote, the residents appear to send a mandate, preferring the loose reigns of county government to the higher taxes and more stringent guidelines that come with city government. Or possibly, it was also a vote against the name itself, which was not chosen by consensus.
In the race to "beat the clock" on a potential South Fulton incorporation, bordering cities including Atlanta, Fairburn
, Union City
, College Park
, East Point
, and Palmetto
sought annexation
s, as they would no longer be able to do so with another city up to their own city limits. Some were successful in getting the approval of residents and city council
s, and these annexations will stand (unless repeal
ed) even without South Fulton as a city.
Fulton's county commission
will continue to have city-like home-rule
powers in the unincorporated area, even though in Georgia commissioners are elected by and can be from anywhere within their assigned electoral district
, including the cities where they only have regular county powers. If the Georgia Township Act
had been reintroduced and passed in the 2008 Georgia General Assembly
, the area could vote to become a "township
", which under the 2007 bill would be essentially identical to what a village
is in the legal terms of other U.S. states (control over land use
and zoning
, but not services or civil law
).
Splitting the area out of Fulton and into Campbell
(the county which formerly covered essentially all of south Fulton and the existing cities of southwest Fulton) has also been discussed by legislator
s, including a constitutional amendment
to allow the re-creation of both former counties (Campbell and Milton
). Currently, Georgia's constitution prohibits any more than the 159 counties it already has. This was expected to be raised in the 2008 session.
Georgia (U.S. state)°N date=July 2009°W
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
region of Fulton County, Georgia
Fulton County, Georgia
Fulton County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. Its county seat is Atlanta, the state capital since 1868 and the principal county of the Atlanta metropolitan area...
, United States. It was a proposed municipality
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
, to comprise all of the remaining unincorporated land Fulton, southwest of East Point
East Point, Georgia
The city of East Point is southwest of the neighborhoods of Atlanta in Fulton County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 33,712...
and College Park
College Park, Georgia
College Park is a city located partly in Fulton County, Georgia and partially in Clayton County, Georgia, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 13,942...
. This area is known to residents as "unincorporated". The communities of Red Oak
Red Oak, Georgia
Red Oak is an unincorporated community of Fulton County, Georgia, near College Park, Georgia and East Point. It is located largely along US 29, NE of Union City, and about five minutes from Hartsfield-Jackson Airport, the world's busiest airport....
, Cooks Crossing, Stonewall, Tell, Fife, Campbellton
Campbellton, Georgia
Campbellton is an unincorporated town in southwestern Fulton County, Georgia, that lies along the banks of the Chattahoochee River. The area prior to white settlement was populated by the Creek Indians. Campbellton was settled by several families. The Beavers Family owned and farmed a large...
, Ben Hill
Ben Hill County, Georgia
Ben Hill County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. The constitutional amendment to create the county was proposed July 31, 1906 and ratified November 6, 1906. As of 2000, the population was 17,484. The 2007 Census Estimate placed the population at 17,650...
, Sandtown, Cliftondale, Cochran Mill, and Peters Woods (a few of which were formerly pre-American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
cities) are all to be found in the unincorporated area.
In 2007, the region voted in a referendum
Referendum
A referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy. It is a form of...
to form a municipality
Municipal corporation
A municipal corporation is the legal term for a local governing body, including cities, counties, towns, townships, charter townships, villages, and boroughs. Municipal incorporation occurs when such municipalities become self-governing entities under the laws of the state or province in which...
. If passed it would have made Fulton County
Fulton County, Georgia
Fulton County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. Its county seat is Atlanta, the state capital since 1868 and the principal county of the Atlanta metropolitan area...
the only county in Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
to be made up entirely of municipalities. The legislation authorizing the referendum was sponsored by State Senator Kasim Reed
Kasim Reed
Mohammed Kasim Reed, known as Kasim Reed, is a Democratic politician and the 59th Mayor of Atlanta, who previously represented the 35th District of the Georgia State Senate. He was a member of the Georgia House of Representatives from 1998 to 2002...
, a member of the Georgia State Senate. Although the area has many low-density suburb
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
s, it would be called a "city
City
A city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...
", the only type of municipality
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
currently allowed under Georgia law
Government of Georgia (U.S. state)
The state government of Georgia is the U.S. state governmental body established by the Georgia State Constitution. It is a republican government with three branches: the legislature, executive, and judiciary...
.
The referendum was a direct result of the long-fought incorporation of Sandy Springs, on the opposite side of Atlanta
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
(the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
). After that success in 2005, Johns Creek
Johns Creek, Georgia
Johns Creek is a suburban city in Fulton County, Georgia, USA, which incorporated December 1, 2006. It is named for a tributary that runs through the area. The city was created out of the northeastern part of unincorporated Fulton County...
and Milton
Milton, Georgia
Milton is a city in Fulton County, Georgia, United States. Incorporated on December 1, 2006, it was created out of the entire unincorporated northwestern part of northern Fulton County. It is a highly affluent community with an average household income within the zip code 30004 of $99,412...
followed in 2006, and Chattahoochee Hill Country (now Chattahoochee Hills
Chattahoochee Hills, Georgia
Chattahoochee Hills is a city in southern Fulton County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 2,378. It is the incorporated part of a region called "Chattahoochee Hill Country," an area encompassing approximately southwest of Atlanta, bordered on the northwest...
), located in extreme southwest Fulton County, voted the same in June 2007.
While each of these passed by huge margins (several times as many for as against), the September 2007 referendum
Referendum
A referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy. It is a form of...
in South Fulton was just the opposite, with an overwhelming 85% voting against incorporation. With such a major defeat, it appears that the elimination of the county government's home rule
Home rule
Home rule is the power of a constituent part of a state to exercise such of the state's powers of governance within its own administrative area that have been devolved to it by the central government....
through total municipalization
Municipalization
Municipalization is the transfer of corporations or other assets to municipal ownership. The transfer may be from private ownership or from other levels of government. It is the opposite of privatization and is different from nationalization.-Services:There have been two main waves of...
will not occur in the near future. According to the vote, the residents appear to send a mandate, preferring the loose reigns of county government to the higher taxes and more stringent guidelines that come with city government. Or possibly, it was also a vote against the name itself, which was not chosen by consensus.
In the race to "beat the clock" on a potential South Fulton incorporation, bordering cities including Atlanta, Fairburn
Fairburn, Georgia
Fairburn is a city in Fulton County, Georgia. The population was 12,950 at the 2010 census.- History :Fairburn is located along a railroad line and was once the county seat for Campbell County, Georgia, starting in 1870...
, Union City
Union City, Georgia
Union City is a city in Fulton County, Georgia, United States. The population was 19,456 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Union City is located at ....
, College Park
College Park, Georgia
College Park is a city located partly in Fulton County, Georgia and partially in Clayton County, Georgia, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 13,942...
, East Point
East Point, Georgia
The city of East Point is southwest of the neighborhoods of Atlanta in Fulton County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 33,712...
, and Palmetto
Palmetto, Georgia
Palmetto is a city located mostly in Fulton County and now partly in Coweta County in the U.S. state of Georgia...
sought annexation
Annexation
Annexation is the de jure incorporation of some territory into another geo-political entity . Usually, it is implied that the territory and population being annexed is the smaller, more peripheral, and weaker of the two merging entities, barring physical size...
s, as they would no longer be able to do so with another city up to their own city limits. Some were successful in getting the approval of residents and city council
City council
A city council or town council is the legislative body that governs a city, town, municipality or local government area.-Australia & NZ:Because of the differences in legislation between the States, the exact definition of a City Council varies...
s, and these annexations will stand (unless repeal
Repeal
A repeal is the amendment, removal or reversal of a law. This is generally done when a law is no longer effective, or it is shown that a law is having far more negative consequences than were originally envisioned....
ed) even without South Fulton as a city.
Fulton's county commission
County commission
A county commission is a group of elected officials charged with administering the county government in local government in some states of the United States. County commissions are usually made up of three or more individuals...
will continue to have city-like home-rule
Home rule
Home rule is the power of a constituent part of a state to exercise such of the state's powers of governance within its own administrative area that have been devolved to it by the central government....
powers in the unincorporated area, even though in Georgia commissioners are elected by and can be from anywhere within their assigned electoral district
Electoral district
An electoral district is a distinct territorial subdivision for holding a separate election for one or more seats in a legislative body...
, including the cities where they only have regular county powers. If the Georgia Township Act
Georgia Township Act
The Georgia Township Act is a bill introduced in January 2007 in the Georgia General Assembly, which would for the first time create "townships" in the US state of Georgia...
had been reintroduced and passed in the 2008 Georgia General Assembly
Georgia General Assembly
The Georgia General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is bicameral, being composed of the Georgia House of Representatives and the Georgia Senate....
, the area could vote to become a "township
Township
The word township is used to refer to different kinds of settlements in different countries. Township is generally associated with an urban area. However there are many exceptions to this rule. In Australia, the United States, and Canada, they may be settlements too small to be considered urban...
", which under the 2007 bill would be essentially identical to what a village
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
is in the legal terms of other U.S. states (control over land use
Land use
Land use is the human use of land. Land use involves the management and modification of natural environment or wilderness into built environment such as fields, pastures, and settlements. It has also been defined as "the arrangements, activities and inputs people undertake in a certain land cover...
and zoning
Zoning
Zoning is a device of land use planning used by local governments in most developed countries. The word is derived from the practice of designating permitted uses of land based on mapped zones which separate one set of land uses from another...
, but not services or civil law
Civil law (common law)
Civil law, as opposed to criminal law, is the branch of law dealing with disputes between individuals or organizations, in which compensation may be awarded to the victim...
).
Splitting the area out of Fulton and into Campbell
Campbell County, Georgia
Campbell County, Georgia was a county of the U.S. state of Georgia from 1828 to 1931. It was created by the state legislature on December 20, 1828 from land taken from Fayette, Coweta, and Carroll counties, and from the half of DeKalb County which became Fulton County soon afterward. Georgia's...
(the county which formerly covered essentially all of south Fulton and the existing cities of southwest Fulton) has also been discussed by legislator
Legislator
A legislator is a person who writes and passes laws, especially someone who is a member of a legislature. Legislators are usually politicians and are often elected by the people...
s, including a constitutional amendment
Constitutional amendment
A constitutional amendment is a formal change to the text of the written constitution of a nation or state.Most constitutions require that amendments cannot be enacted unless they have passed a special procedure that is more stringent than that required of ordinary legislation...
to allow the re-creation of both former counties (Campbell and Milton
Milton County, Georgia
Milton County was a county of the U.S. state of Georgia from 1857 to 1931. It was created on December 18, 1857 from parts of northeastern Cobb, southeastern Cherokee, and southwestern Forsyth counties. The county was named for John Milton, Secretary of State of Georgia from 1777 to 1799...
). Currently, Georgia's constitution prohibits any more than the 159 counties it already has. This was expected to be raised in the 2008 session.
Georgia (U.S. state)°N date=July 2009°W