Georgia Senators Set To Discuss Eagle’s Landing City Proposal
Bills were introduced into the Georgia House and Senate to set the boundaries for the proposed new city of Eagle’s Landing and to establish the city’s charter. If the bills pass, the move would go to a referendum in May that residents would vote on.
Brenna Beech / WABE
People in Henry County will have a chance to let state lawmakers know how they feel about creating a new city in their county Thursday.
Eagle’s Landing, the proposed new city, would consist of areas from Stockbridge and unincorporated Henry County.
Stockbridge Mayor Anthony Ford said the move to create the new city from an existing one is “just not right.”
Ford said it would also create a financial burden for residents left in Stockbridge. He said they currently don’t have to pay a property tax, but that would have to change.
“Chances are I would have to, along with the council, impose a city property tax on the part of the remaining citizens,” Ford said. “That’s something they’re not used to and something that they would not have a choice, they would not have a vote in because we wouldn’t be able to survive with city services.”
Vikki Consiglio chairs the Eagle’s Landing Educational Research Committee, which was created to form the new city.
It would be a close to 12-square-mile area and have an estimated population of a little more than 17,000 people.
She said people living in the proposed Eagle’s Landing area want more say in how their taxes are spent.
“There’s just not anything there to attract anything that you’d want in your community to help develop the area,” Consiglio said. “We find ourselves going to other counties just for entertainment.”
Consiglio said she envisions having a working partnership with the Stockbridge government if they were to create their own city.
A Georgia Senate committee is scheduled to hear from both sides this week.
Senate Bills 263 and 262 and House Bills 638 and 639 were introduced into the House and Senate to set the boundaries for the new city and establish the city’s charter.
If the bills pass, the move would go to a referendum in May for residents to vote on.
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