Greetings,
Over the last couple of weeks I've been following the ongoing discussion about cityhood from afar as I enjoyed some family time at the beach. As I read comments against incorporation both here on the Patch and at other websites one of the interesting things I've noticed is that many of the same anti-city arguments are brought up again and again by different people but with long periods of time (many days and sometimes weeks) separating the repetition of the comment.
As a result the discussion about incorporation often seems to just go around and around discussing the same things over and over again with minimal new topics and certainly a lack of facts and data to back up assertions.
In some cases the comments end up even going off on a tangent that honestly are often irrelevant and make absolutely no sense to me (i.e. if we incorporate we will end up having to pay for Berkeley Lake's dam repair). So, I thought it might be useful as we are now less than three months from the big vote on November 8th that we revisit all the anti-city arguments all at once so that we can then move forward into some new and interesting topics or at a minimum press the "refresh" button on some of these topics and possibly discuss in deeper detail by providing some new facts and information.
So, without further ado here are my top 11 "Reasons to vote No" that I have heard and read in the last few months......
1. Won’t incorporating create an “additional” layer of government and bureaucracy that citizens have to deal with?
Creating a city will not “add” an additional layer of government. Unlike the military or the business world, governments don’t report to each other in a hierarchical fashion. For example, when is the last time you saw the Governor of Georgia contact the President to request permission to do most anything? The Governor works for Georgia and not the President. So, just as the Governor does not work for the President at a local level a City Council does not work for the County Commission. As long as the City Council’s decision does not violate some state law then what they decide is final. The reality is that having a City government actually brings government closer to the customer (i.e. the tax payer) instead of creating an “additional” layer of government.
2. Everyone knows that once a government is in place that it will just grow and grow and grow. What assurances are there that the same thing won’t happen to a city of Peachtree Corners?
The city charter prevents any changes to the millage rate or to services provided unless approved by a referendum of the citizens. The City Council would be unable to arbitrarily increase taxes or add services. The citizens have control over what, if anything, can be added. Now I know a LOT of comments have been made by people who have combed through the proposed charter looking for secret back door ways to tax the citizens into oblivion. I have read the charter and I just don't see those same metaphorical "black helicopters" circling my house at night waiting to scoop me up and drag me away to a reeducation camp where I can be taxed to death by hidden taxes and fees in the charter. However, I don't claim to be an expert on legislative documents but I know there is another blog on the Patch that is going through the charter in great detail and I strongly recommend everyone read these informative articles to get a true understanding of what is in the charter.
3. I am pleased with the level and quality of services provided by Gwinnett County. Why would we want to change that?
The only changes to the existing services being provided by Gwinnett County would be trash, code enforcement and zoning. All other services (i.e. Police, Fire, Education) would continue to come from Gwinnett County. The reason to consider change is that the three services being proposed for Peachtree Corners could more effectively be run at a more local level. Gwinnett County has over 800k persons while Peachtree Corners has about 40k. A local zoning board and a local code enforcement department could focus solely on our area. Just compare the landscaping maintenace on Peachtree Parkway versus Buford Highway to see what is possible when their is local engagement by involved citizens and businesses. The potential is there for all of Peachtree Corners to have that level of support and maintenance if we incorporate. Additionally, if we became a city we would also have an opportunity to enter into a new trash contract that could potentially save each household $100 off what they are currently paying with the county wide trash program.
4. If we incorporate we will be “seceding” from Norcross. Why would we want to do that?
The idea of Peachtree Corners was born in the late 1960s and has been developing a separate identity ever sense. Peachtree Corners is not seceding from Norcross because we have never been part of Norcross. Many citizens in Peachtree Corners have Norcross addresses and have attended Norcross High School but there are also many citizens that have Duluth addresses and are zoned for Duluth schools. I have lived in this area for over 10 years and have never thought of myself as either a citizen of Norcross, Duluth or Berkeley Lake for that matter. In my mind those were nearby towns that I would visit for shopping or a nice dinner.
5. Isn’t incorporating simply an attempt to wall off ourselves from areas and groups that are different?
The demographics of the proposed city are quite diverse. The 2010 census indicated that the minority population of Peachtree Corners will be in the 40% range. When the boundaries of the city were being drawn great attention was given to ensure that no complications with the Voting Rights Act would result. The demographics of the proposed city and the effort to satisfy the Voting Rights Act are not reflective of an effort to segregate.
6. I like the schools that my kids go to. Won’t incorporating cause there to be a massive redistricting for the schools?
The creation of a city of Peachtree Corners would have absolutely no impact on school zoning. The city would only have three services (zoning, code enforcement and trash). Schools would continue to fall under the purview of the Gwinnett County School Board.
7. I hate taxes and am strongly opposed to any tax increase. Why would I ever vote to add new taxes?
The financial analysis provided by the Carl Vinson Institute of Government at the University of Georgia estimated that the new city taxes of 1.0 millage rate would cost a homeowner approximately $40 per $100k of property value. Current estimates for savings on a revised trash plan for Peachtree Corners estimate that the average homeowner could save $100. For a homeowner with a house valued at $250k this is a financial wash. Their overall tax bill would not change. For homes valued under $250k the homeowner could possibly realize a net tax decrease. On a personal note I am one of the biggest fiscal conservatives you will ever meet. I hate waste at any level whether it be personal or with my tax dollars. I believe in a balanced federal budget every year and the total elimination of the national debt. That being said some tax expenditures are good investments and to reflexively reject all taxes as bad and evil seems very, very short sighted to me.
8. Isn’t this incorporation movement simply a power grab by a small group of long time UPCCA members who have been trying to create a city for years?
The UPCCA is made up totally of volunteers who devote their time to the betterment of our area. Most have successful careers in the private sector. The new city would have a very limited number of full time positions and most of those would not pay anywhere near what someone in a successful private sector job would make. It seems illogical that someone would spend years to create a city just so they could take a lower paying job with the new city.
9. If we want to live in a city why wouldn’t we just try to get annexed by a surrounding city such as Norcross instead of creating a new one?
The millage rate for Peachtree Corners would be 1.0. Currently Norcross has a millage rate of 6.4. Being annexed by Norcross would result in much higher taxes than incorporating our own city.
10. Several new cities have been created in recent years in our area. Their spending has grown and grown. Why would we want to incorporate and have the same thing happen to us?
Analysis of the budgets of the new cities created in the last few years show spending that has either been flat or grown at a rate significantly below the growth rate of their population which means that spending per capita has actually declined. Even though government spending has indeed grown greatly in many parts of the country and at many different levels of government we have examples right nearby that show that spending can be contained and actually decreased on a per capita basis when the elected leadership is responsive to the desires of the population. Government that is local and closer to the citizens will be more responsive than a government that is separated by both distance and size from its constituents.
11. I have been happy with the leadership from the County Board of Commissioners. Why would I want to replace their leadership with a City Council?
The previous Board of Commissioners had two members either resign or finish their term under indictment. While a new Board has taken office recently and I truly hope they end up restoring our confidence in them, there is no guarantee that its stewardship of our resources or their ethical behavior will be an improvement over the prior board. As one famous American once said "Hope is not a strategy." Additionally, with over 800,000 citizens and only five board members it is increasingly difficult for a board member to be responsive to the needs of its citizens. There are some states that have fewer citizens than Gwinnett and they have full blown legislatures with dozens and dozens if not hundreds of members while we only have five commissioners. How accessible can a person be when they have 200,000 constituents (there are actually only four districts in Gwinnett with the Chairperson being elected county wide). With only 40,000 residents to serve in Peachtree Corners, board members would be much more accessible and also much more accountable than the current setup we have with the Board of Commissioners.
So, there you have it. The Top 11 reasons to vote "No" on November 8th and my responses. I am sure I missed some good ones so please feel free to post any relevant reasons why we should not incorporate so we can discuss and debate.
On a side note start looking for information online about an upcoming Town Hall that will be held to discuss incorporating a city of Peachtree Corners.
