Sandy Springs, Georgia has gone through a huge transformation over the last few years. The people of Sandy Springs had spent the better part of three decades trying to gain incorporation, and come out from under the thumb of Fulton County. The City of Atlanta has always stared at Sandy Springs they way a salivating dogs looks at a piece of raw meat. Since Atlanta is very Democrat and Democrats controlled the State Legislature of Georgia, the incorporation of Sandy Springs was blocked for decades. When the GOP took control of the Legislature, Sandy Springs was given its city charter.
Here is an excerpt on the history of Sandy Springs:
Today, what had started as a grass roots effort to defeat annexation in 1966 by the city of Atlanta grew to be an impressive bid for freedom. Sandy Springs is now Georgia’s 7th largest city with an estimated population of 85,000 in 2006. It was incorporated in December 2005 after more than thirty years of persistent legal and political maneuvering by its staunch residents
I only wish Buckhead had been able to hold Atlanta back. It was an unincorporated area in the late 50s and was eventually eaten by the City of Atlanta. There is a club in Atlanta still in existence today, The Buckhead Fifty Club, that was originally founded to stop Buckhead’s annexation by the City of Atlanta.
Today, Buckhead shovels an amazing amount of money into the City coffers, but receives very little in return. At a minimum, we should be receiving the impact fees for major development projects. You would think this would be obvious; the area that is impacted by the new development should receive the fees for new roads, traffic lights, police stations, etc… Not in Atlanta, the money is sent to all over the city. I know Rep. Ed Lindsey has been trying to pass legislation, requiring that cities spend impact fees within a certain radius of where the impact is occurring. I hope he is successful in his efforts.
When you buy a home in Sandy Springs, you get the best of both worlds. You have all the advantages of living in Buckhead, but you have more control over you tax dollars. You’re money is actually spent on police officers, firemen and capital projects in your community.
If you have any questions about buying a home in Sandy Springs, please call me. I grew up in Sandy Springs and know the area very well.
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