State Representative Debra Bazemore (D-South Fulton), along with the City of South Fulton House Delegation, today commented on Governor Deal’s veto of House Bills 131 and 132. Rep. Bazemore serves as the chair of the South Fulton House Delegation along with Rep. Roger Bruce (D-Atlanta), who serves as the vice chair, and Reps. William Boddie (D-East Point), Derrick Jackson (D-Tyrone), Sharon Beasley-Teague (D-Red Oak) and Marie Metze (D-Atlanta).
“During the 2017 legislative session Representative Roger Bruce introduced two pieces of legislation relating to the City of South Fulton, House Bills 131 and 132, which removes the constitutional amendment protecting the Fulton County Industrial District (FCID) and incorporates it into the City of South Fulton. Both local bills were voted on and passed by the House and the Senate, but were ultimately vetoed by the governor.
“Governor Deal gave the following reason for his veto: ‘House Bills 131 and 132 relate to repealing the constitutional amendment creating the Fulton County Industrial District (FCID) and then annexing the property into the City of South Fulton. The FCID is the only portion of Fulton County that remains unincorporated after the creation of the City of South Fulton in 2016. The FCID, however, cannot be annexed by any municipality due to a pre-existing local constitutional amendment to the Constitution of Georgia and enabling legislation. There has been continued debate between the City of Atlanta and the City of South Fulton as to which city this district should belong, the cities and property owners involved, though, need to first come to an agreement to determine the future of the FCID. For the foregoing reasons, I hereby VETO HB 131 and HB 132.’
“It is unfortunate that the governor vetoed House Bills 131 and 132; however, the Feasibility Report done by Georgia State University, for the City of South Fulton, excluded the Fulton County Industrial District and it shows that the FCID will not affect the viability of the city. If acquired, the FCID brings an additional $1.4 million in revenue to the city. The feasibility report also documents that the FCID is interested in becoming part of the new city. You can find a copy of the report here, reference page six for information on the Fulton County Industrial District.
“Though the bills were not successful during this legislative session, we do plan to reintroduce them for the next legislative session. Please feel free to contact my office for any further questions, comments or concerns.”
For more information, please contact Rep. Bazemore at 404-656-0126.
Representative Debra Bazemore represents the citizens of District 63, which includes portions of Clayton, Fayette, and Fulton counties. She was elected in 2016, and currently serves on the Intragovernmental Coordination, Natural Resources & Environment, and State Planning & Community Affairs committees.
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