About 500 people attended a town hall meeting at Lanier Tech Tuesday night to discuss the proposed city of Sharon Springs.
Many Forsyth County department heads were on hand to answer questions and County Manager Eric Johnson led the proceedings.
South Forsyth resident and head of the Sharon Springs Alliance, Todd Jones, sponsored House Bill 626 which would create the city which would offer 3 services to residents; planning and zoning, code enforcement, and waste disposal services.
A total of 50 residents signed up to speak. Most resident’s questions revolved around potential tax hikes, mileage rate increases, additional city taxes, and the cost maintenance of existing infrastructure.
As Forsyth county attorney Ken Jarrard explained, those questions can't be answered because the city doesn't yet exist.
He stated, “Some of this is unknown right now. The vote has not occurred yet and we don’t know what the city council would have in mind. But I’ve got to believe that the expectation would be that Sharon Springs would look to Forsyth county to continue to provide ownership, maintenance and operation of the roads pursuant to an inter-government agreement.”
Majority of those in attendance are not in favor of the new city. After everyone had a chance to speak, Jones stood before the remaining crowd. He thanked them all for their time and reminded everyone that no matter if the new city is formed, they are all neighbors and should be attentive to each other’s needs and concerns.
The bill passed the house and must pass the senate before being passed on to voters who would reside in the new city.
