(6/12/06) A unanimous Georgia Supreme Court on Monday upheld a
provision of the law which ends Fulton County's practice of using
money from the northern end of the county to subsidize the
less-developed south side.
Specifically, the court upheld an amendment added to one of the
bills creating the new City of Sandy Springs by state Sen. David
Shafer, R-Duluth.
Fulton County commissioners voted to file suit against the Shafer
Amendment last year, challenging its constitutionality. Superior
Court Judge John F. Goger upheld the provision, prompting the county
to appeal to the Supreme Court.
Shafer said Monday: "Fulton County has been violating the spirit of
the special services district law for decades. The purpose of a
special services district is to provide services to a given
geographic area and to have the recipients of those services pay for
them. Fulton County has been misusing its special services district
to raise money in one geographic area and spend it somewhere else."
Fulton County Commissioner Lynne Riley, who voted against the
lawsuit along with fellow Republicans Karen Handel and Tom Lowe,
praised the decision and Shafer.
"For years, North Fulton has been neglected by the Board of
Commissioners, our tax dollars siphoned to South Fulton or wasted on
bureaucracy while our basic infrastructure needs went unmet," Riley
said. "Finally, we have leaders at the State Capitol like Sen.
Shafer who will stand up for us."
"The lawsuit was an unfortunate and costly delaying tactic," Shafer
said. "It was completely groundless."
Asked what Fulton County should do next, Shafer replied: "They
should obey the law next."
Reprinted from
www.insideradvantagegeorgia.com
