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To: All Elected Representatives (state and local)
CC: The ARC Board, Media
Subject: Atlanta Regional Commission Proposed Bylaws Change
This letter is to inform you of the proposed governing bylaws change for the Atlanta Regional Commission. There has been very little coverage in the media and the last two monthly newsletters from the ARC have not made any mention of it. The changes are being characterized as just “housekeeping” since they were last modified in 1971, although we believe they are far more sweeping and significant than just housekeeping.
There’s an ongoing concern and debate about the new bylaws that you should be aware of as it relates to accountability, local control and protection of “Home Rule” as provided for in the Georgia Constitution. Even the Metropolitan Atlanta Mayors Association has concerns as well as several county commission chairmen who currently sit on the ARC Board.
For a quick overview from an inside perspective, please watch this 4 minute video by Fayette County Chairman Steve Brown.
In July, the Transportation Leadership Coalition, the grassroots organization that mounted a campaign to stop the TSPLOST, released a critique of the proposed bylaws. You can download the full critique here. Our concerns are summarized as follows:
- Past and current ARC Chairmen are appointed chairmen of Community Improvement Districts. The Georgia Constitution and Georgia Law prove that CID’s are political subdivisions. Even the Georgia Transportation Infrastructure Bank which provides funding only to government entities lists CID’s as eligible to receive funds. The ARC has violated its own bylaws since citizen “members at large may hold no elective or appointed public office nor be employed by any political subdivision of the area”.
- Bylaws don’t provide term limits for appointed members. Some citizen members have served for 15 years.
- The Transportation and Air Quality Committee has a quorum rule of only 40% to make decisions. We’ve never seen a board or committee that has approval authority of millions of dollars have a quorum less than 50%.
- New Governance Committee creates an excessive centralization of power into the chairman’s role with no established term limits. The Chairman appoints a slate of officers and Committee Chairs approved by the board. There is not a provision to guarantee that officers or committee chairs are duly elected county commissioners and mayors. This removes accountability to the voting public.
- ARC directs federal money toward transportation projects within CID’s. When the chairman of the ARC can be the chairman of a CID and also be employed by a firm that has major real estate investments in the CID, this creates a potential for inside deals to favored business interests and inhibits free market competition. This conflicts with the ARC Ethics Policy.
- Although the public comment policy was changed at the last ARC meeting, only a scant 10 minutes is allowed for a board that serves a population of over 5 million. Even then, it is a policy that can be modified by the chairman at any time.
Because the Atlanta Regional Commission has taxing authority on a per capita basis for each person living within the Atlanta Metropolitan area, this taxation entitles the citizens to representation. In addition, the ARC has influence on expenditure of federal, state and local dollars which also come from the taxpayers. When councils of government are appointed they are not accountable to the people. This is “taxation and legislation without representation”.
Trust in government is at an all-time low. These changes only centralize more power into the chairman. Let us make this perfectly clear, if enacted, the new Governance Committee would allow a small group of appointed people to make decisions about federal, state and local dollars instead of duly elected representatives who are accountable to the people. We do not need a situation where a handpicked group around the board chairman will have the ability to pick winners and losers in the Atlanta Metro area. This will only lead us away from more open, transparent and accountable governance.
We urge you to contact your colleagues that serve on the ARC Board and ask them where they stand in regard to these bylaws changes.
Respectfully submitted,
Transportation Leadership Coalition, LLC
www.repealregionalism.com
www.traffictruth.net
ARC Public Comment Policy Falls Short
By Field Searcy
September 28, 2014
Last Wednesday, twelve private citizens addressed the Atlanta Regional Commission about the adoption of a more friendly public comment policy at the monthly board meetings. For some on the board, the comments were not welcomed. Maybe they were offended by the tone or the political correctness. Maybe the words cut to close too home. Or, maybe they’ve forgotten the price that was paid to secure the right.
The very foundation of the First Amendment was the right of political speech of the people to petition their government or challenge its authority. The ARC receives federal, state and local money. Its existence is the creature of government legislation at the state and federal level even its structure violates the republican form of government. In every way, it is bound by the Constitution for the United States and the Georgia Constitution. In fact, the board members all swear an oath of allegiance to the same.
While all the ARC board members have busy lives and political careers, they should never be too busy to hear from the people that have delegated representative authority to them.
Indeed, the policy adopted is more liberal than the previous policy which required a 10 day notice, a motion by a board member, a second and a 2/3rd’s vote. The new policy on public comment remains inadequate for the following reasons.
- For a regional commission for 10 counties and a metropolitan planning organization (MPO) of 20 counties representing more than 5 million people, allowing a total of only 10 minutes with up to 2 minutes per person is not sufficient. Even Cobb County, which has recently been under fire for limiting public comment, has a more liberal policy.
- Given the limited amount of time allotted for public comment, safeguards should have been included to allow time for all points of view to be heard. Witness the backlash that was caused in Cobb by stacking of the deck with supporting voices against the citizens with opposing views. A true consultative approach of allowing differing opinions should be protected. A wise person once said “The shining spark of truth, cometh forth only after the clash of differing opinions.”
- Public comment should be guaranteed directly in the ARC governing bylaws rather than a policy that can be changed “from time to time.”
The ARC Board passed the new policy with a vote of 19-7. We don’t believe the 7 that voted “no” are against free speech. Quite the contrary, we believe they wanted the sounding committee to rework the policy with some of the reasons cited above in mind. We salute them for their courage to not vote in lockstep with the rest. This was really the significant event since rarely is there ever a dissenting vote on any ARC Board decisions.
For too long, the people have been asleep and silent; not paying attention to what our elected representatives have been doing. We were too busy or too trusting to notice that authority was being subverted to unelected persons that cannot be held accountable to the people.
That is no longer the case. All across the spectrum, a political awakening is taking shape. The citizens are coming together, rediscovering that “We The People” are the sovereigns’ of the government and are reclaiming our rightful place to keep the government accountable and safeguard our liberties.
Field Searcy, a Cobb citizen, represents RepealRegionalism.com an education campaign by the Transportation Leadership Coalition, LLC which led the grassroots effort against the Regional Transportation Tax (TSPLOST) in 2012.
Permission to reprint is granted with full attribution.
From our friends at Sustainable Freedom Lab:
Please download a copy of the report Inside the World of Planning. It’s an important first step to understanding the threats not only against our freedoms as property owners in America, but threats against our health, our well-being, our economy, and even our environment.
If you haven’t downloaded your copy, please use the link below:
Inside_the_World_of_Planning [PDF download]
Make sure you read it as soon as possible and share it. You have my enthusiastic permission to share this report with as many people as possible.
Together, we can make a difference.
And, if you wish to learn more about the threat of regionalism and planning or need help educating others, I encourage you to look at my Straight Talk About Planning DVD package. It’s a simple and objective set of short presentation videos that simplifies this complex and divisive subject.
Straight Talk About Planning DVD
Protecting freedoms together,
John Anthony
Sustainable Freedom Lab
We need you to help us fill the auditorium for this event. Be present to show your support for open, transparent, and accountable government.
What: Atlanta Regional Commission is updating their governing bylaws
When: Wednesday, October 22, 2014 , 1:00 PM
Where: Loudermilk Center, 40 Courtland Street, NE, Level C , Atlanta, GA
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If you live in the 10 county Atlanta Regional Commission, ask your county commission chairman and / or mayor how they plan to vote on September 24th.
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If they don’t sit on the ARC Board now, ask them did they know that their counterparts are voting on governing bylaws that could take away their local authority.
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Ask them if they want an appointed committee picking winners and losers in the Atlanta Metro area.
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Watch the following short video by Steve Brown, Fayette County Commission Chairman explain what is happening from the inside.
Steve Brown – Atlanta Regional Commission from Studio 25 Productions on Vimeo.
CRITICAL BYLAWS ISSUES
- Bylaws don’t provide term limits for appointed members. Some citizen members have served for 15 years.
- Past and current ARC Chairmen are appointed chairmen of Community Improvement Districts. The Georgia Constitution and Georgia Law prove that CID’s are political subdivisions. The ARC has violated its own bylaws since citizen “members at large may hold no elective or appointed public office nor be employed by any political subdivision of the area”.
- New Governance Committee creates an excessive centralization of power into the chairman’s role with no established term limits. Chairman may appoint members outside of the current duly elected county commissioners and mayors. Removes accountability to the public.
- ARC directs federal money toward transportation projects within CID’s. When the chairman of the ARC can be the chairman of a CID and also be employed by a firm that has major real estate investments in the CID, this creates a potential for inside deals to favored business interests and inhibits free market competition.
Download a full critique on the proposed bylaws: TLC Critique of Proposed ARC Bylaws – 07312014
Download this announcement as a printable flyer: ARC Bylaws Meeting Flyer
Link to Atlanta Regional Commission to download current and proposed bylaws.
By Field Searcy
Ever since 1776, being independent has been a part of our national DNA. Obviously, the founders couldn’t have imagined the interconnected world in which we live in today. However, they did understand human nature and they didn’t trust it — much less did they trust centralized government authority. The greatest legacy of the founders when creating the Constitution was the decentralization of power. They believed local control would best allow citizens to be engaged in the affairs that affected them most. Distributing power provides a check and balance with the people having the final check. George Washington said, “The power under the Constitution will always be in the people.”
Indeed, technology and mobility have caused our region, our nation, and even our world to become more interconnected and interdependent. Because of these societal trends, the expected level of productivity has caused many citizens to be less engaged in the process of self-government. By being disengaged, central planners are increasingly creating the bulwarks of regional governance that is unelected and unaccountable to the people. This diminishes local autonomy and citizen control.
One way to solve broad regional public policy issues that transcend city and county borders is to have a more efficient state government. The Georgia Government Accountability Act of 2012 would have authorized a Legislative Sunset Advisory Committee to evaluate each state agency and recommend elimination or consolidation to ensure that valuable resources are best utilized and that state agencies are held accountable. This legislation was overwhelmingly passed by the Georgia House and Senate, yet it was vetoed by Governor Deal.
Included in the review would have been the multiple state agencies that oversee transportation. A revamping and consolidation of these agencies would go a long way toward increasing the efficiency of our state transportation system. Speaking of accountability, what happened to the $1 Billion of unallocated DOT funds discovered in the state audit?
Another way to solve regional transportation problems would be through House Bill 195 introduced in 2013 that would have allowed counties to create their own special district, set their own list of projects and have their own referendum.
The colonies that declared their independence had to be interdependent on each other in their battle to beat the powerful British Empire. We citizens should learn from history. We need to work together and be engaged in the process of self-government so that a few elite are not allowed to consolidate power and usurp the consent of the governed.
As we celebrate our nation’s birth, let’s resolve to protect our individual liberty and independence for another 237 years, while still working cooperatively and interdependently to solve problems of regional importance.
Field Searcy, a Cobb citizen, represents RepealRegionalism.com an education campaign by the Transportation Leadership Coalition, LLC which led the grassroots effort against the Regional Transportation Tax (TSPLOST) in 2012.
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About Transportation Leadership Coalition, LLC
Transportation Leadership Coalition, LLC, is a grassroots, all-volunteer organization, created in the belief that the State of Georgia can do a much better job of transportation planning. Transportation Leadership Coalition, LLC encourages the citizens of Georgia to become involved in their local governments to avoid the trappings of appointed regional government agencies. We know that if Georgians understand the facts about mandated regionalism, they will overwhelmingly reject it.
Web: www.RepealRegionalism.com
Facebook: www.Facebook.com/RepealRegionalism
Posted: 7:00 a.m. Saturday, July 6, 2013
By Andre Jackson – Editorial Board, Atlanta Journal Constitution
Having duly celebrated on Thursday this nation’s long-ago parting of ways with England, it can be worthwhile now to examine a more local application of independence.
The word is often mentioned here in a local context.
There’s no doubt that this is a metro area comprised of strongly independent enclaves offering a wide array of lifestyles. And there are no regionally elected officials in our midst, unlike in some other cities that we’re normally compared against. That’s unlikely to change anytime soon.
It’s thus clear that independence is deeply revered around here. We would suggest, though, that interdependence should also have a substantial place in our civic life. A region this large is often faced with challenges likely best solved by cooperative effort on either a large, or small, scale. Not coercion, mind you, just smart collaborative work when there’s mutual benefit or efficiencies to be gained.
We tried this in a big way with the 2012 T-SPLOST referendum on a project list approved by a roundtable of appointed, local officials. In that instance, the Atlanta metro had to follow a process spelled out in the Transportation Investment Act. Local officials did just that, and we all know what happened next.
In fairness, we’ve seen examples of productive cooperation across borders here. Officials have long worked together to address our water challenges. And Fulton and DeKalb counties and the city of Atlanta have, for decades, taxed themselves to provide funding for MARTA.
Such cooperation where it’s mutually desired is in keeping with current best practices. In the 2012 report “America’s Metro Regions Take Center Stage” by consultants Citistates Group, they write that, “The metropolitan regions in the United States are entering, however cautiously, a critical intersection. Some will figure out a formula to coalesce around common interests and find a way to thrive in the new realities. Others will not, and will see their economic prospects wither.”
Against the recognition that some issues are simply too large for one city or county to fix, we asked four local civic leaders to examine how independence should mesh with interdependence in this metro. Their analyses are below.
We all know that opinions vary widely on how to address our common problems. We can, however, generally agree on the challenges that we jointly share. That’s the first step toward reaching solutions that respect both independence and interdependence.
Source: http://www.myajc.com/news/news/opinion/thinking-about-interdependence/nYdDF/
Independence, interdependence can coexist
Posted: 7:00 a.m. Saturday, July 6, 2013
By Field Searcy
Ever since 1776, being independent has been a part of our national DNA. Obviously, the founders couldn’t have imagined the interconnected world in which we live today. However, they did understand human nature and they didn’t trust it — much less did they trust centralized government authority. The greatest legacy of the founders when creating the Constitution was the decentralization of power. They believed local control would best allow citizens to be engaged in the affairs that affected them.
Indeed, technology and mobility have caused our region, our nation, and even our world to become more interconnected and interdependent. Because of these societal trends, expected productivity levels have caused citizens to be less engaged in the process of self-government. Without that check and balance, central planners are increasingly creating the bulwarks of regional governance that is unelected and unaccountable to the people.
The Georgia Government Accountability Act of 2012 would have authorized a Legislative Sunset Advisory Committee to recommend elimination or consolidation of state agencies, ensuring increased accountability and a more efficient state government. This legislation was overwhelmingly passed by the Georgia House and Senate, yet it was vetoed by Governor Deal.
Included in the review would have been multiple state agencies that oversee transportation. A revamping and consolidation of these agencies would go a long way toward increasing the efficiency of our state transportation system. Speaking of accountability, what happened to the $1 Billion of unallocated DOT funds discovered in the state audit?
Another solution for regional transportation would be House Bill 195 introduced in 2013 that would allow counties to create their own special district, set their own list of projects and have their own referendum.
The colonies that declared their independence had to be interdependent on each other in their battle to beat the British. As we celebrate our nation’s birth, let’s resolve to protect our individual liberty and independence for another 237 years, while still working cooperatively and interdependently to solve problems of regional importance. Citizens need to remain engaged to prevent a few elites from consolidating power and ignoring the consent of the governed.
Field Searcy of Cobb County, represents RepealRegionalism.com, a campaign by the Transportation Leadership Coalition, LLC which opposed the T-SPLOST.
Source: http://www.myajc.com/news/news/opinion/independence-interdependence-can-coexist/nYcM5/
Urban mindset won’t hold sway everywhere
Posted: 7:00 a.m. Saturday, July 6, 2013
By Don Haddix
Regionalism is seen as a dirty word to many because it means a regional government controlled mainly by Atlanta. Counties such as Fayette are nothing more than financial donors.
More rail? More asphalt? Where, why, how and for whose benefit? The bucket is full, there is no more room.
The Single Hub Atlanta thinking is outdated, outmoded, impossible to pay for and has to change.
Using NCR, with over 1,000 employees in Peachtree City, as an example, they train 120 technicians, etc a week. They neither want or need to commute to Atlanta.
There are other industries here, some expanding, with more under construction. We are an international city with 92 miles of golf cart paths so people can walk, bike or golf cart to work.
This defies the Single Hub urban thinking.
Atlanta has a lot of areas needing redevelopment. Build villages where people can live and shop in a suburban, not urban, environment. Connect them to the high-density office and similar buildings with cart paths. Change the environment in which people work, live and play.
The District 3 (ARC) Meeting, at the Georgia Municipal Association annual convention, illustrates my point. My table, with cities on the South Side, stated what we do, and do not, need or want.
Interior cities came right back and demanded rail and roads at the expense of the whole Region. This includes rail to Griffin, requiring a station in Peachtree City, which we adamantly oppose.
Some even want the state to step in and force their wants to happen on those who dissent.
Clearly shown were inequities of regional demand and benefit, as illustrated in the T-SPLOST referendum.
This is not respect for independence, or looking for true solutions. Many interior cities want us to sacrifice and give nothing in return. Cooperation must be a two-way street.
I recognize the needs of different areas of the ARC. We are not one homogeneous whole, but diverse people with diverse goals, wants and needs. Until that is recognized and respected, there will be no real solutions, just continued tension and distrust.
Don Haddix is Mayor of Peachtree City
Source: http://www.myajc.com/news/news/opinion/urban-mindset-wont-hold-sway-everywhere/nYcLZ/
Collaborate to Compete
Posted: 10:40 a.m. Saturday, July 6, 2013
By Kerry Armstrong
The mantra for the 21st century is “Collaborate to compete.” While we work at the local level to safeguard the identities of the communities we love, we must also work together to find innovative ways of managing with less funding, more demand and a changing population. And, we must capitalize on opportunities for collaboration this century offers.
With 55 percent of the state’s population and 70 percent of its economy, metropolitan Atlanta is the economic engine that powers the state. And, our reach extends far beyond Georgia. Technology, the Georgia ports and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport connect the region to the world, helping make us a competitor on the world stage.
Success depends on leveraging our assets and working collaboratively, and we have many past examples to point to. Collaboration brought the 1996 Olympic Games to the region. For more than 20 years, local governments and water utilities have worked together to defend the region’s rights in the tri-state water disputes. The Innovation Crescent brings local governments, development authorities, chambers of commerce, businesses and others together to market the region as a hub for the life sciences industry.
There is almost universal agreement that the airport is the region’s most important asset. Both the Atlanta Regional Commission’s Plan 2040 and the Regional Economic Competitiveness Strategy, which involved hundreds of individuals from every county, emphasize the need to leverage the economic resources surrounding Hartsfield-Jackson. To that end, area stakeholders are working together to create the Atlanta Aerotropolis Alliance to promote the area as a great place to live or to locate a business.
Beyond transportation and water, our biggest challenges include educating our young people for today’s post-industrial economy, creating vibrant communities that attract the talent businesses need and preparing for a more diverse and older citizenry. Successful solutions depend on local governments, businesses, economic development professionals, educators and nonprofits working with each other and with engaged residents of the region to ensure metro Atlanta’s future is even brighter than it has ever been.
Kerry Armstrong is a citizen member of the Atlanta Regional Commission Board, and co-chair, of Atlanta Regional Workforce Board.
Source: http://www.myajc.com/news/news/opinion/collaborate-to-compete/nYcBZ/
Cooperation won’t compromise local independence
Posted: 7:00 a.m. Saturday, July 6, 2013
By Ellen Mayer
I confess. I do not understand why we in metro Atlanta spend so much time agonizing over what it means to be a region and whether we want to be one.
By its narrowest definition, metro Atlanta consists of 10 counties and more than 70 cities. Combined, our communities encompass everything from rural to urban, traditional to quirky, and historic to thoroughly modern. Each reflects the preferences and priorities of the people who live there.
At the same time, these communities and the local governments that represent them are bound together by impossible-to-ignore realities that have no regard for county lines and city limits. Transportation, water, economic growth, sustainability, workforce education, and other critical and quality of life issues are plainly too big to be solved piecemeal in our respective counties and municipalities.
Does a regional approach to such issues threaten local jurisdictions’ independence or identity? No. Does it take away our choices? No. Does it boost our capacity for cultivating the basic things we all want? Yes.
Some assert that regionalism negates competition among jurisdictions. Not true. In fact, competition should motivate all local governments and their constituents to do better. At the same time, competition is no excuse for tearing down or working against our neighbors.
The independence we celebrate every Fourth of July commemorates a break from a monarchy an ocean away. There is no “England” oppressing metro Atlanta or any segment of it. Our communities are geographically and economically interdependent, and despite their differences, the people of the region have much in common when it comes to what they want for themselves and the places they call home.
At the Civic League for Regional Atlanta, we believe the people of the region are the key to a better region. Our goals are to equip citizens with the information they need to make decisions for themselves and to create new opportunities for regional civic participation.
Together, we are all stakeholders and together, we can leverage our interdependence to adapt to growth, preserve the unique qualities we hold dear, and ensure an economically and environmentally sustainable future.
Ellen Mayer is Executive Director of the Civic League for Regional Atlanta which works to engage people about issues shaping their community and the region.
Source: http://www.myajc.com/news/news/opinion/cooperation-wont-compromise-local-independence/nYcHm/
By Matt Roy
May 22, 2013 Property Rights
What is “Regionalism”? – Regionalism is a state imposed layer of regional government over several local/city governments. States promote this idea as a way for neighboring counties and cities to work together to solve problems and implement larger cross-county initiatives.
Regionalism in Georgia – House Bill 1216 of 2008 reorganized the Department of Community Affairs and divided the state into 12 regions, each ruled in part by a commission. The officials serving on the regional commissions are a mix of appointed and elected officials. This legislation calls for the county commission chair and one mayor from each county in a region to serve on the commission. The other members of the regional commission or council are appointed as follows:
.One school superintendent and two non-governmental appointees are selected by the governor .One non-governmental appointee is selected by the Lt. Governor; and .One non-governmental appointee is selected by the Speaker of the House.
House Bill 277 of 2010 modified the structure of the regional governance system in that there are now 12 special districts and 36 regional councils managed by the Department of Community Affairs. These regional commissions have the taxing and eminent domain authority over the counties in their area. They also function as the regional planning entity for land use, environmental conservation, transportation, and historic preservation. Most of the controversy surrounding these regional councils stems from a proposed transportation project and corresponding sales tax increase.
Problems with Regionalism
Regional commissions: – are not accountable to the voting citizens in the counties they preside over – can impose local taxes on counties for the purpose of funding projects in other counties in that region (wealth redistribution) – infringe on the authority and power of local governments specifically granted in Georgia Constitution “Home Rule” (Article IX, Section II) – add another unnecessary layer of bureaucracy to Georgia’s government
Sustainable Development – Sustainable development is another facet to regionalism. Because regional councils can supersede more localized governments, the fear is that appointed commissioners on regional boards can implement those kinds of schemes without much opposition or oversight. Several websites link regionalism to sustainable development and smart growth initiatives.
Conclusion – Regionalism adds a 4th layer of government to the local-state-federal system that lacks accountability to the people. Pro-regionalists argue that the amalgamation of local governments creates “economies of scale” within the governing system and would aid counties in solving larger problems. This doesn’t seem to pass muster. When has more or bigger government ever resulted in an efficient outcome?
The commissioners who comprise these regional bodies are not directly elected to their positions and have power over elected local officials on several issues. These councils are often expensive, over-bearing bureaucracies that lack a clear purpose and justification. Regionalism, as a concept, is problematic at best and detrimental to the strength of representative government that is efficient and accountable to Georgians.
Media Contact
Field Searcy
678-525-7072
Supports coordination like HB 195, allowing county governments to act on projects of mutual interest.
June 25, 2013, Roswell, GA – This past weekend, the Georgia Republican Party State Committee met to complete the business of adopting resolutions. Key among them was a resolution opposing mandated regionalism.
Regionalism was thrust upon the state in form of the Transportation Investment Act of 2010, known as T-SPLOST, instituting regional governance and taxation.
Even though T-SPLOST was handily defeated in most regions last summer, the law is still on the books and can be reintroduced to the voters in the future. The Transportation Leadership Coalition believes another T-SPLOST referendum using the same flawed law will only produce more anger and distrust from the voters.
Regionalism diminishes the local control and authority of local governments or self-government through “home rule” as provided for in the Georgia Constitution. “The whole point of local control and self-governance is that local elected representatives can be held accountable by the voter-taxpayer,” said Jack Staver, Chairman of the Transportation Leadership Coalition. “Throwing a group of counties into a one-size-fits-all regional scenario against their will is not a recipe for metro Atlanta’s success.”
In addition to the opposition to regional governance, the resolution supports State Representative Ed Setzler’s HB 195 introduced in the 2013 Georgia General Assembly. HB 195 allows counties with mutual interests to work on regional-type projects without the mandated regional government structure of the Transportation Investment Act.
Under HB 195, the duly elected county commission or city council of two or more adjoining counties work together to propose projects of mutual interest that can be brought to the voters for approval in a local tax referendum.
The GOP resolution requests that formal action be taken by the Governor, Lt. Governor, Speaker of the House, and the Georgia General Assembly to dissolve the 12 Regional Commissions for purposes of taxation with the application to the Transportation Investment Act of 2010.
RepealRegionalism.com aims to educate the citizens of Georgia on the dangers of state mandated regional governance and the hazards of the unelected and unaccountable system. A copy of the GOP resolution as adopted can be found on RepealRegionalism.com under the articles tab.
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About Transportation Leadership Coalition, LLC
Transportation Leadership Coalition, LLC, is a grassroots, all-volunteer organization, created in the belief that the State of Georgia can do a much better job of transportation planning. Transportation Leadership Coalition, LLC encourages the citizens of Georgia to become involved in their local governments to avoid the trappings of appointed regional government agencies. We know that if Georgians understand the facts about mandated regionalism, they will overwhelmingly reject it.
Web: www.RepealRegionalism.com
Facebook: www.Facebook.com/RepealRegionalism
A Resolution Opposing “Regionalism”, which Violates the Georgia Constitution; and Supporting the Republican Form of Government
WHEREAS, Article IV, Section IV of the Constitution “guarantee[s] to every State in this Union a Republican form of Government.” A republican form of government is one in which sovereignty rests with the people and representatives are chosen by the people to represent them in public matters via a constitution; and
WHEREAS, under the Georgia Constitution there are no provisions for the creation of 12 special districts and 36 councils managed by the Department of Community Affairs and the Georgia Department of Transportation known as “regionalism;” and these districts are ruled in part by governing councils who were not elected to serve on a regional council but rather appointed by virtue of their county commission or city mayor seat; and
WHEREAS, “regionalism” diminishes the local control and authority of county and city governments for self-government through “home rule” as provided for in the Georgia Constitution, Article IX Section II; and
WHEREAS, voters living in city municipalities have greater representation on these councils than voters living in unincorporated parts of counties, violating the “one person, one vote” principle and the Fourteenth Amendment Equal Protection Clause; and
WHEREAS, the “Transportation Investment Act of 2010” (known as T-SPLOST) instituted regional government and regional taxation, but was soundly defeated in 9 of 12 regions; and
WHEREAS, a bill, HB 195, has been introduced in the Georgia General Assembly to allow counties to cross over boundaries to work on regional projects with other counties, without the regional government structures of the “Transportation Investment Act of 2010.”
BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED THAT the Georgia Republican Party reaffirms its commitment to the “one person, one vote” principle, the Constitution and the republican form of government, and does hereby request that formal action be taken by the Governor, Lt. Governor, Speaker of the House, and the Georgia General Assembly to dissolve the 12 Regional Commissions for purposes of taxation with the application to the Transportation Investment Act of 2010 (TIA).
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
June 2, 2103 By Andre Jackson
As metro Atlanta motorists know too well, slow going — however frustrating — beats no going on the overworked roads and expressways that underserve us on the best of days.
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