Milton County Georgia Another hurdle was cleared last week when the bill, HR 21, passed through the State Planning and Community Affairs Committee. The next step is to clear the House Rules Committee and the House of Representatives – a two-thirds majority required. Jan Jones, a Milton resident and the House Speaker Pro Tem has been a driving force in re-creating Milton County and has been instrumental in getting the issue this far to date.

I won’t go through the history of how Milton became part of Fulton county, if you’re familiar with the issue at all you’ve read about it already. What I do want to discuss is why I believe we should become Milton County again. There are two main issues that drive the decision, those are: Tax dollars and Services. However, I think the School System and Property Values are other important reasons for Milton County.

The Funding of Dysfunction

Tax dollars and Services are linked and the return on our investment is inadequate. For far too long our tax dollars have helped to fund mis-managed Atlanta services that continue to get worse rather than better. Water systems in shambles and a tax assessment process that is incapable and incompetent. How can they operate for 15 years without updated assessments on commercial property? Jan Jones pointed out in a recent AJC article that "In 2008, audits showed the county had no asset inventory, no oversight of purchasing and tracking and an inability to locate roughly $160 million in asset purchase".

Fulton County has seven commissioners managing a county 80 miles long with a population larger than six different states. There is a reason that the cities of Sandy Springs, Johns Creek and Milton formed – greater local control. There is no local control within Fulton. I want to see business locate in Atlanta and to see the city thrive, but not by extending it’s reach further out into the suburbs to for more tax dollars.

Head of the Class

It’s been all over the news, massive layoffs and budget cuts for Fulton County Schools. Certainly, the budget issues aren’t limited to Fulton. Gwinnett, DeKalb, Cobb and others are all facing budget shortfalls from the State. But there are some counties that have been able to mitigate the impact of those cuts, Forsyth County for example. While they will also receive fewer funds from the State, Forsyth County Schools won’t be laying off hundreds of teachers and cutting school programs.

As a Realtor who lives and works in North Fulton, I can attest to the high demand that home buyers have for North Fulton Schools. Our school system would only be better if we had more control, increasing higher demand and increasing property values.

The Rub

There is just one issue that hasn’t been discussed out there and it has to do with the cities in North Fulton. Would we need to have city services for Alpharetta, Milton, Roswell, Mountain Park, Johns Creek and Sandy Springs if the county of Milton were re-created? Should some of the cities merge? No doubt there would be overlap in services and costs could be contained. So, here is my question to you: If we become Milton County, should Alpharetta annex Milton? Should there be a Johns Creek? Do you even agree that we should become Milton County again?