The small number of taxpayers in our poorest counties is saddled with supporting a county government and a city government.

I recall a history teacher showing me an old map of the counties in Georgia.  Each county was approximately the same size and the county seat was in about the center of the county.  I asked the teacher how this came about.  He said the rationale for a county was, the farmer at the extreme edge of the county should be able to get up in the morning and feed the chickens and milk the cows, hitch-up the wagon and drive to the county seat and conduct his business and driving home in time to milk the cows and prepare supper.  We need to use as much intelligence in designing the structure of our counties as our forefathers did.

Let’s explore a more cost-effective structure of government.  Let’s assemble the total amount of taxes that the people and businesses in North Fulton County pay in local taxes.  Then we will draw-up a business plan for one government that will perform all of the functions of a city and a county.   Can this one government provide more services for less money than the citizens and business are currently paying?  If the answer is yes, then create the City and County of Sandy Springs.

This successful venture will serve as a model for reducing the taxes of the citizens in our poorest counties.

[An issue in my 2000 Election Campaign]