Buckhead's proposed secession from Atlanta goes under the microscope
By Thomas Wheatley, Axios Atlanta
The "Buckxit" movement by Atlanta’s whitest and wealthiest neighborhood to secede from the city met pushback on Thursday from opponents at a heated three-hour state committee hearing.
Why it matters: It was arguably the first showdown between the two sides that delved into the complexities and nuances of making Buckhead City a reality.
Creating Buckhead City might sound good in theory — a new police force, control over zoning, government close to the people — but opponents say the long-term effects would ultimately hurt both cities and ripple throughout the state.
State of play: When the General Assembly reconvenes in January, Buckhead cityhood will dominate much of the 40-day legislative session.
GOP lawmakers facing elections next year — none of whom represent Atlanta — have backed the secession proposal and its tough-on-crime platform.
Flashback: Earlier this year, some Buckhead residents revived a long-discussed (but never seriously pursued) idea to secede from Atlanta.
Their reasons: crime, crime, crime, and decades of City Hall taking their tax dollars for granted.
Led by Bill White, a business consultant and Donald Trump fundraiser who moved to the community a few years ago, the initiative has raised roughly $1 million and earned national news coverage on Tucker Carlson.
Yes, but: The knife cuts both ways, say opponents of the initiative, including the Buckhead Coalition, the Committee for a United Atlanta, the Midtown Alliance, the Metro Chamber, the Georgia Municipal Association, and City Hall.
Without an amendment to the Georgia Constitution, Buckhead City children would not be eligible to attend Atlanta Public Schools, officials say.
Water bills would automatically rise as much as 36%, according to Peter Aman, a former Bain & Company partner who worked as the city’s chief operating officer and provided pro bono work for Mayor Shirley Franklin.
Never before has a part of an existing city created its own municipality in Georgia. Doing so could trigger a raft of lawsuits from bond investors and rattle the bond ratings for cities across the state, said Aman and Tom Gehl of GMA.