Duncan deals a blow to Buckhead cityhood push
By J.D. Capelouto, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Greg Bluestein, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan dealt a blow to the effort to create a Buckhead City by assigning the legislation to a Senate committee controlled by Democrats critical of the push to split Atlanta into two municipalities.
Duncan’s move on Thursday effectively bottled up the legislation sponsored by Republican state Sen. Brandon Beach, though it’s far from scuttled. A similar House measure is pending, and the provision that allows for a cityhood referendum could be tacked onto other legislation.
Still, the move was applauded by critics of the secession initiative from both sides of the aisle. Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, who has pleaded with legislators for time to implement his plan to fight crime, cheered the development at an event heralding the opening of a new police precinct in Buckhead.
“I’m elated. That’s great information,” Dickens said. “I thank Lt. Gov. Duncan and his leadership and being able to be thoughtful in that.”
The fate of the legislation will now be up to the Senate Urban Affairs Committee, which is composed entirely of Democrats, including several who are outspoken critics of the cityhood effort. State Sen. Lester Jackson, who chairs the committee, said the panel would be “transparent and fair” with the proposal.
Georgia State Sen. Lester Jackson, D-Savannah, called an effort to allow Buckhead to break off from the rest of the city of Atlanta "one of the most controversial issues this session." Jackson, the chairman of the Senate Urban Affairs Committee, said the proposal will be "fairly debated" by his panel. (ALYSSA POINTER/ALYSSA.POINTER@AJC.COM)
“It’s one of the most controversial issues this session, and the lieutenant governor made the right decision to place the bill in the right committee so it will be fairly debated,” said Jackson, a Savannah Democrat.
Others went further. State Sen. Sally Harrell, D-Dunwoody, predicted the measure would “die” in the committee and that the overall effort is in “a body bag but not necessarily dead.”
Duncan’s decision is not unexpected. He’s expressed skepticism about the cityhood movement, saying he’s yet to hear a “compelling argument” from Buckhead cityhood supporters about how they would curb crime or fund city services.
“The details matter here. The financing issues. The education issues. The governance issues. These are all issues that must be fixed before — and not after — a referendum is passed,” Duncan said in a recent interview. “My hope is that we’re able to figure out a way to help all of Atlanta significantly cut crime.”