Why Buckhead's State Senators Oppose Cityhood: Patch Q & A

ATLANTA — Legislation for a Buckhead City ballot referendum in 2022 was inked by lawmakers from outside the City of Atlanta.

After being excluded from efforts to cleve a major portion of the Southeast’s largest and arguably most consequential city out into its own municipality, state legislators representing different portions of Buckhead spoke out.

Two of those lawmakers whose districts include Buckhead, Sen. Sonya Halpern (District 39) and Sen. Jen Jordan (District 6), spent time with Patch for a Q & A about where they stand on the cityhood question, what they intend to do about it, in particular during the coming state legislative special session, and how to address the concerns prompting some to want to leave Atlanta.

Q: Where do you stand on the question of Buckhead cityhood and why?
Jordan: I’m against it because it’s not in the best interest of the city of Atlanta, the people I represent, or the state of Georgia.
Halpern: I strongly oppose Buckhead cityhood. One, creating a new city would have no effect on the things Buckhead residents are most concerned about, especially crime. Two, it would do incalculable damage to both the Buckhead area and the rest of Atlanta. It would damage our credit, create chaos for K-12 students, and literally divide us at a time when we need to come together to solve our shared challenges.

Q: What message would you send to residents and businesses to offset this new information being presented by BCC and cityhood supporters?
Jordan: The information that’s being put out there is either incorrect or incomplete. It’s one of those situations where a vote to de-annex Buckhead from the City of Atlanta is going to have a negative impact on the folks that live not only in the City of Atlanta but on the people who will live in the new city.
Halpern: Atlanta became the incredible city it is today because we worked together. We built together. Buckhead has been a part of Atlanta for almost 60 years and the entire city is better for it. We are the cultural, technological, and economic center of the South and if we split up, it would certainly be to the advantage of other cities and to the detriment of our state.

Q: At least a half dozen state legislators have signed onto the bill to promote a cityhood referendum in 2022. What do you say to elected officials from outside of Buckhead and Atlanta?
Jordan: I think they see a political opportunity for themselves in terms of getting press coverage. The rising crime and these issues that we have are not specific to Buckhead; they may need to go back home to their districts and deal with their own problems.
Halpern: Local legislation is supposed to be brought forward by local legislators. Anyone outside of Atlanta attempting to manipulate this process is doing it for political points at best.

Q: How will you counter their language in the November special session committee hearings?
Jordan: You bring in the real leadership in our community — law enforcement, the business community, our schools. It is not that you put up this artificial boundary and all of a sudden things are going to be different. A lot of people have been frustrated bc there’s been a lack of leadership and a lack of perceived communication between the leadership and the community.
Halpern: The people of Atlanta did not elect them to make decisions for us - they elected me and my fellow officials representing the region. We know the path forward for our communities because we're a part of them. I am sure the senators from outside the city are no more interested in me dictating what would be best for their cities and counties.

Q: What, if any, technical details of de-annexing Buckhead from Atlanta are not being discussed about “Buckxit?”
Jordan: The biggest thing that (Buckhead City Committee CEO Bill) White and that committee aren’t being forthright about is the impact on the Atlanta schools and exactly what that means for the students that live in the proposed areas of this new city. They’re kind of just brushing it under the rug. The reality, my guess is, would prevent a lot of people from supporting this effort.
Halpern: The technical issues have been raised but none of them have been explored in full depth yet because the ramifications of this decision would take months, if not years, to fully understand. Bonds, schools, parks, and municipal services would all require an unprecedented restructuring.

Q: What are some tangible solutions that you would propose to constituents living in Buckhead who say they are afraid in the wake of rising crime and feel their tax dollars are not well directed to Buckhead-specific issues?
Jordan: The biggest thing is, they need to vote. They need to run for office if they feel their voices are not being heard. The loudest voices are from the people that didn’t vote in the last mayoral election. They have someone who was from Buckhead and seemed to be really attuned to what Buckead’s concerns were, and they didn’t vote.
Halpern: The most important thing that Buckhead residents can do is vote in the quickly approaching municipal election. Every serious candidate for Atlanta mayor in the race has outlined, repeatedly and specifically, a plan to address crime. Every candidate has spoken about pursuing more efficient city services as well. Buckhead will also soon have a strong advocate on the city council who can help address some of the issues we are facing. I'm confident that the next administration and council will be more than capable of doing the work that needs to be done.

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