Some Legislators Call for a Slow Down in the Cityhood Movement

The debate for a separate city of South Fulton seems to have a pretty even number of supporters and opponents, as more and more voices calling for a "slowdown" begin to emerge as the AJC reported on Christmas eve.

The AJC says there are lobbying groups on both sides, trying to push their agendas but those who are calling for a pause want a, "moratorium to examine the harm that creating new municipalities does to the revenue collected by the counties they are carved from."

There is currently a trend in the state for enclaves and regions to become cities of their own.  South Fulton is one of the latest that the legislature will look at this year.  Though its autonomy and other benefits may sound like a good idea, it is also true that recently formed cities have run into some growing pains and obstacles.

The AJC article laid out the current struggles that various new cities around Atlanta are facing.  Dekalb County legislators will see 7 proposals for new cities in the upcoming session, and some in South Fulton worry that they may face the same struggles as their nearby predecessors:

• Brookhaven's 2014 budget nearly doubles the city's legal fees, to $415,000, from costs projected in its feasibility study. The jump follows a high-profile and ongoing case against the longtime strip club Pink Pony and a headline-grabbing legal fight with neighboring Chamblee.

• Peachtree Corners launched in 2012 amid gripes about a $2.7 million budget, almost four times higher than projected, and a 90-day halt on business licenses that paused development.

• An in-house investigation cited Johns Creek Mayor Mike Bodker on allegations of conflicts of interest and other ethical questions that were similar to the sorts of complaints about Fulton County leaders that prompted the city's creation. Voters returned Bodker to office, though tension in City Hall remains.

What side of the debate are you on?  Do you like the trend towards cityhood.