Speaker David Ralston appointed me to the House Study Committee on Cityhood, Annexation and De-Annexation. Hearings have been scheduled by Chairman Jan Tankersley at the Capitol for September 1, 24, and October 6. All hearings will be open to the public, and hopefully will be broadcast live on the Georgia General Assembly website.
Our own Senator Elena Parent has been appointed Chair of a Senate Study Committee on Cityhood, and I anticipate she and I, and hopefully the House and Senate Study Committees will work together on possible solutions.
Creation of new cities or annexations to existing cities, are political processes. But, our current process needs to be more rational based on both economics and the wishes of the voters, more transparent, and operate on a known timetable.
What do you think?
Questions for your Consideration:
1. Should all new cities be required to follow a specific two year timetable before the voters are given the ultimate decision by a referendum vote?
2. An economic feasibility study to create a new city must be filed by a specific date, and be conducted by only a Georgia university fiscal economics department.
3. An economic feasibility study must contain data on the impact on the county.
4. Maps for new cities must be filed by a specific date and not altered thereafter.
5. Should all members of a county delegation, or just members of a delegation who include territory to be changed, have authority to veto a proposed annexation into a city?
6. Should voters have a formal statutory process to be de-annexed from a city?
These are a few of the questions to be discussed--what do you think? What changes in the process do you suggest?
Click here to answer the questions and give me your thoughts
Please attend the hearings or watch on-line, and send me your comments.
Thank you!
