---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: State Representative Roger Bruce <rbruce5347@aol.com> Date: Sun, Sep 18, 2016 at 9:15 PM Subject: City of South Fulton Q&A To: kperry@invictusinc.com Frequently Asked Questions <http://s.rs6.net/t?e=as-TUesuK5c&c=1&r=1> <http://s.rs6.net/t?e=as-TUesuK5c&c=3&r=1> <http://s.rs6.net/t?e=as-TUesuK5c&c=4&r=1> <http://s.rs6.net/t?e=as-TUesuK5c&c=5&r=1> <http://myemail.constantcontact.com/City-of-South-Fulton-Q-A.html?soid=1101515712773&aid=as-TUesuK5c#fblike> * State Representative Roger Bruce Bruce Will Produce..."Again!" KEEPING YOU INFORMED Georgia House of Representatives District 61 September 18, 2016 * *Contact * * Rep. Roger Bruce! Always close to the community and ready to serve, Representative Roger Bruce wants to hear from you! If you would like to request a meeting or invite Rep. Bruce to your event, please send an email to the following email address: rbruce5347@aol.com <rbruce5347@aol.com> * *Be sure to include your name/ organization name, address, contact phone number, available dates for meeting, and who will be attending the meeting. **Representative Bruce will make every effort to attend your meeting. We appreciate your patience and flexibility while we make every effort to accommodate your request.* *www.legis.state.ga.us <http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001TpZpJjxyfbALp8QbYvrQ0EsCORE06DNmZ_It8R8S77KW_wQv6gsb0PKySfGQOJaeX3cITrY95-Ki8EtdfTrIo4cUo-CKVWKIEreY7456up_E90FZpq6faetK27QXaFq0j5wvPQ3_eo8JdgDAmq_8OV3M0Yn5lhndMYgkIjskL4F-7sLaaZS5psRutPU55MrulJFpoROv6_7Uig20IbqGoAgHmyc379vPQ5z96ZMMGca7yT9dj9tmugiChUw5HPbx7dYUraIF8MImlZrv6qI07dcXau6ouAxDGZImxfO9or1P0JPOREcBBwJ4qM9-TkEQuuO4lHbHXg_kZwCAS42ETBFLBEqlCW325R4Lumt7Fk4=&c=YmeMZfMZ_0Xj7MO5eDvgRRYReE4duyAEX9t7WRKd03zdAkTMmAu2wQ==&ch=VoFIvWqc45b9U0hok2OADgn2E6ql3I1vOPKf-V_EAgUp1QQMWSdbNg==>* *Office: 404/656-7859 <404%2F656-7859> * *Fax: 404/344-8051 <404%2F344-8051> * *Visit Our Web Site:* *rogerbruce.net <http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001TpZpJjxyfbALp8QbYvrQ0EsCORE06DNmZ_It8R8S77KW_wQv6gsb0PKySfGQOJaeX3cITrY95-Ki8EtdfTrIo4cUo-CKVWKIEreY7456up_E90FZpq6faetK27QXaFq0j5wvPQ3_eo8JdgDAmq_8OV3M0Yn5lhndMYgkIjskL4F-7sLaaZS5psRutPU55MrulJFpoROv6_7Uig20IbqGoAgHmyc379vPQ5z96ZMMGca7yT9dj9tmugiChUw5HPbx7dYUraIF8MImlZrv6qI07dcXau6ouAxDGZImxfO9or1P0JPOREcBBwJ4qM9-TkEQuuO4lHbHXg_kZwCAS42ETBFLBEqlCW325R4Lumt7Fk4=&c=YmeMZfMZ_0Xj7MO5eDvgRRYReE4duyAEX9t7WRKd03zdAkTMmAu2wQ==&ch=VoFIvWqc45b9U0hok2OADgn2E6ql3I1vOPKf-V_EAgUp1QQMWSdbNg==>* Come out and get information Be informed Be an informed voter <http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001TpZpJjxyfbALp8QbYvrQ0EsCORE06DNmZ_It8R8S77KW_wQv6gsb0PKySfGQOJaeX3cITrY95-Ki8EtdfTrIo4cUo-CKVWKIEreY7456up_E90FZpq6faetK27QXaFq0j5wvPQ3_eo8JdgDAmq_8OV3M0Yn5lhndMYgkIjskL4F-7sLaaZS5psRutPU55MrulJFpoROv6_7Uig20IbqGoAgHmyc379vPQ5z96ZMMGca7yT9dj9tmugiChUw5HPbx7dYUraIF8MImlZrv6qI07dcXau6ouAxDGZImxfO9or1P0JPOREcBBwJ4qM9-TkEQuuO4lHbHXg_kZwCAS42ETBFLBEqlCW325R4Lumt7Fk4=&c=YmeMZfMZ_0Xj7MO5eDvgRRYReE4duyAEX9t7WRKd03zdAkTMmAu2wQ==&ch=VoFIvWqc45b9U0hok2OADgn2E6ql3I1vOPKf-V_EAgUp1QQMWSdbNg==> WHY DO WE NEED A NEW CITY OF SOUTH FULTON? WHY CAN'T WE JUST BE LEFT ALONE AND STAY THE WAY WE ARE? As promised this is the first is a series of answers to frequently asked questions related to the City of South Fulton. The un-incorporated area of South Fulton has been operating as a city, without a charter and without protection on the boundaries of the area for about 10 years. The area is currently governed by the Fulton County Commission. Only 1 of the seven commissioners live within the area. As such, they do not have to live with the consequences of the decisions they make. Incorporating the area gives you the ability to elect people that are your neighbors, your friends, use your schools, worship in your churches, shop in your stores, ride on the same roads you use, etc. They would be impacted, just like you, by the decisions they make. Without a charter and protected boundaries the surrounding cities have been picking off pieces of the area through annexations over the past few years. There was an effort, through legislation in the 2016 Session of the General Assembly, to place almost all of unincorporated South Fulton into Atlanta. While it did not move forward it was an example of the vulnerability we face without a charter to protect our boundaries. We all moved to South Fulton to enjoy a chosen life style. Some wanted the pleasure of large lots, others wanted lakefronts, and some wanted an urban feel or a rural down home feel. All of it exists in our communities. The surrounding cities have their way of life and we have ours. To preserve what you chose you have to control the zoning and land use plans. You do that by electing people that share your vision of community. People that move here for the same reason you did. Secondly, the Fulton County School System currently serves us. If we were annexed into the City of Atlanta the Atlanta Independent School System would serve us. A. Philip Randolph, Sandtown Middle School and Westlake High School serve a significant portion of South Fulton. Approximately, 1800 students are bussed in. If those schools become Atlanta City Schools those 1800 children will have to be reassigned to other Fulton County Schools, disrupting their education, changing their social networks and causing overcrowding the schools they are transferred to. Children will end up in trailers and ultimately all of Fulton County will have to build new schools to house the displaced students. At the same time the vacated schools will become under-utilized. Atlanta would then have to decide what to do with this newly acquired real estate. Do they bus students from other APS schools? Not likely, as they are already having difficulty with the schools they have. It is very likely that these neighborhood schools would be closed or privatized and no longer available to the entire community. If that happens your property values will be negatively impacted. Our ability to attract others to the area will be difficult without readily available public education. Because we are not a city we do not get our share of the sales tax generated in Fulton County. The sales tax is allocated to the cities based on population. It is estimated that our share of that is between 20-25 million dollars that could be used exclusively for Fulton County Services. Instead that money now goes into the General Fund, which means we are subsidizing the rest of the county. Lastly, the big question of why can't we just stay the same has been answered. THE EXISTING CITIES AND THE FEAR MONGERS WON'T LET YOU. The existing cities want you for your property tax money and the increased portion of the sales tax they would get from additional population. People running for mayor of Atlanta want the Black votes to increase their chances of winning that race. I am sure there are some that just don't handle change well and fear what they feel is the unknown. They have to take the time to look at the facts so that they will know. YOU CANNOT STAY THE SAME. If the cities continue to pick off the prime areas those remaining will not be able to afford the cost of servicing the area. 61st District Ga House of Representatives, 410 Stone Arbor Court, Atlanta, GA 30331 SafeUnsubscribe™ kperry@invictusinc.com <https://visitor.constantcontact.com/do?p=un&m=001I11v0iMvG2VJs-8zAQ0DyQ%3D%3D&ch=0ee922c0-72ac-11e6-b0ad-d4ae529a7b12&ca=24e83e88-c897-4f42-9802-742df9db93f0> Forward email <http://ui.constantcontact.com/sa/fwtf.jsp?llr=fi9hx8bab&m=1101515712773&ea=kperry%40invictusinc.com&a=1124291930038> | Update Profile <https://visitor.constantcontact.com/do?p=oo&m=001I11v0iMvG2VJs-8zAQ0DyQ%3D%3D&ch=0ee922c0-72ac-11e6-b0ad-d4ae529a7b12&ca=24e83e88-c897-4f42-9802-742df9db93f0> | About our service provider <http://www.constantcontact.com/legal/service-provider?cc=about-service-provider> Sent by rbruce5347@aol.com in collaboration with [image: Constant Contact] <http://www.constantcontact.com/index.jsp?cc=news09> Try it free today <http://www.constantcontact.com/index.jsp?cc=news09>