North Fulton cities gear up for crucial service delivery negotiations with Fulton County

The North Fulton Municipal Association discussed its member cities’ upcoming negotiations with Fulton County this spring, which will determine how the local governments will share responsibility for service delivery and its cost.

Sandy Springs Mayor Rusty Paul said mayors and high-ranking North Fulton city leaders met at the end of February to create a list of things they wanted addressed.

The North Fulton Municipal Association includes the cities of Sandy Springs, Alpharetta, Johns Creek, Milton, Roswell, and Mountain Park.

Service Delivery Strategy process

Paul said negotiations are set to begin in April, and there’s an end-of-year deadline to reach an agreement. State databases confirm the Dec. 31 deadline for Fulton County and its 15 cities.

“It’s a great law in the state that requires the counties and the cities to get together to make sure that there’s no double taxation and there’s no duplication of services,” Paul said. “The carrot is that you get to make those decisions yourself. The stick is that if you don’t reach that conclusion, then you become ineligible for state and federal grants. So it’s a very significant set of negotiations.”

The state Community Affairs Department monitors compliance with the Service Delivery Strategy Act. It passed the Georgia General Assembly in 1997, forcing cities and counties to resolve conflicts and reach agreements.

The process aims to ensure that residents in Fulton County cities are not paying county taxes for services provided by their municipal government. 

“I presume we’ll be starting to meet sometime at the end of April or early May, if the county makes the call,” Paul said. “Commissioner Bob Ellis was there, and he laid out the county’s position, which is, ‘We like the way things are.’ I’m sure they do. Cities may have a slightly different opinion.”

Ellis represents northwest Fulton County in District 2, which includes about a third of the city of Sandy Springs west of Ga. 400 and north of I-285.

The city’s other two commissioners are Dana Barrett, who represents southern Sandy Springs in District 3, and Bridget Thorne, whose district includes the “panhandle” in northeast Sandy Springs.

County negotiations and Atlanta water

As city managers prepare for negotiations, Paul said topics that will be discussed include the county’s main jail on Rice Street, animal control, “and clearly, our relationship with the City of Atlanta over water.”

Related story:
• DeKalb judge defends Atlanta’s water rate surcharge to Sandy Springs

A court order in December was a setback for Sandy Springs residents, who have battled the City of Atlanta over water rates and system maintenance for more than three decades.

DeKalb County Superior Court Judge Nora Polk ruled that the City of Atlanta is justified in charging residents outside of its jurisdiction a 21 percent surcharge for water.

Paul indicated he is putting the surcharge fight to rest and focusing on negotiating better service for Sandy Springs customers.

“Not on the rates,” he said. “But the level of service we’re getting, and the maintenance and other issues related to the water system, will be part of that conversation.”

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