The City of South Fulton is in

Fulton County, Georgia Fulton County is located in the north-central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 1,066,710, making it the state's most-populous county and its only one with over one million inha ...

, United States, in the

Atlanta metropolitan area Metro Atlanta, designated by the United States Office of Management and Budget as the Atlanta–Sandy Springs–Alpharetta, GA Metropolitan Statistical Area, is the most populous metropolitan statistical area in the U.S. state of Georgia and th ...

. It was incorporated in 2017 from parts of southwest Fulton County and includes the communities of

Red Oak The genus ''Quercus'' contains about 500 species, some of which are listed here. The genus, as is the case with many large genera, is divided into subgenera and sections. Traditionally, the genus ''Quercus'' was divided into the two subgenera ''C ...

, Cooks Crossing, Stonewall, Fife, Ben Hill, Sandtown, Cliftondale, Ono, Cedar Grove, Boat Rock/Dry Pond, Maude, Lester, Enon, Welcome All, Peters Woods, and part of Campbellton. As of 2020, it had a population of 107,436, making it the state's eighth-largest city in population.

History

The 2016 Georgia General Assembly passed bill HB514 to incorporate South Fulton.

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

Nathan Deal John Nathan Deal (born August 25, 1942) is an American lawyer and politician who served as the 82nd governor of Georgia from 2011 to 2019. He was elected to the United States House of Representatives as a member of the Democratic Party in 1992 a ...

signed the bill into law on April 29, 2016. On November 8, 59 percent of the citizens of what would become South Fulton voted to charter the city. This referendum was part of a “cityhood movement” in the

that began in 2005 with the incorporation of

Sandy Springs Sandy Springs is a city in northern Fulton County, Georgia and an inner ring suburb of Atlanta. The city's population was 108,080 at the 2020 census, making it Georgia's seventh-largest city. It is the site of several corporate headquarters, i ...

on the north side of

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,7 ...

. Several other communities in Fulton voted to incorporate in 2007. With the passage of the South Fulton referendum in 2016, Fulton County became the first county in Georgia with no unincorporated residential areas. As a result, in 2017 Fulton County also became the first county in Georgia to cease providing municipal services such as fire, police, zoning, and code enforcement. Many former Fulton County personnel and facilities were transferred to the City of South Fulton. On March 21, 2017, South Fulton held elections for mayor and city council, followed by

runoff election The two-round system (TRS), also known as runoff voting, second ballot, or ballotage, is a voting method used to elect a single candidate, where voters cast a single vote for their preferred candidate. It generally ensures a majoritarian resu ...

s before incorporation took effect on May 1. The first mayor of South Fulton was Bill Edwards, who previously served on the Fulton County Board of Commissioners from 2000 to 2014. His term expired on December 31, 2021. In November 2017, after a one-year

waiting period A waiting period is the period of time between when an action is requested or mandated and when it occurs. In the United States, the term is commonly used in reference to gun control, abortion and marriage licences, as some U.S. states require ...

mandated by state law, the

city council A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, rural coun ...

selected Renaissance as the new name for the city after allowing residents to suggest names. More than 200 names were submitted, and the list was pared to 20, including Campbellton (a historical town now partly within the city), Atlanta Heights, Wolf Creek and retaining South Fulton. Following a three-week

public notice Public notice is a notice given to the public regarding certain types of legal proceedings. __TOC__ By government Public notices are issued by a government agency or legislative body in certain rulemaking or lawmaking proceeding. It is a re ...

period and two regular public meetings, which are required to amend the

city charter A city charter or town charter (generically, municipal charter) is a legal document ('' charter'') establishing a municipality such as a city or town. The concept developed in Europe during the Middle Ages. Traditionally the granting of a charte ...

, the city council approved the name change in December 2017. However, Mayor Edwards vetoed the name change on December 18, citing several reasons, including contracts and some public opposition. In its first eight months, South Fulton created its infrastructure, navigated financial challenges and began a transition from Fulton County services.

Government

The City of South Fulton operates as a weak mayor form of government. According to the National League of Cities, a weak mayor government includes a powerful council with both legislative and executive authority. The mayor is not truly the chief executive, with limited power. The council can prevent the mayor from effectively supervising city administration. South Fulton's mayor votes only in case of a tie council vote. The council is primarily responsible for creating and adopting policy via ordinances, resolutions, and amendments. Council members also approve proposed projects, services, events, and purchases above a certain dollar amount. South Fulton's city manager, who reports to the council, manages the city's day-to-day operations and supervises department heads. Today the city operates with the following departments: City Clerk; City Manager; Communications and External Affairs; Code Enforcement; Community Development; Economic Development (Destination South Fulton); Finance; Fire; Human Resources; Information Technology; Legal; Municipal Court; Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs; Police and Public Works. All other services – including utilities, sanitation, elections, public health and others – are managed by Fulton County, or private providers. All public schools within the city are managed b
Fulton County Schools

Demographics

2020 U.S. Census

Map

File:City of South Fulton Map with New Annex.jp
Click to Enlarge

References

External links

South Fulton City Government

The transition page set up by Fulton County

''South Fulton Feasibility Study: Potential Revenue and Expenditures'', Andrew Young School of Policy Studies

''Transition plans for new cities'', Fulton County, Georgia

Map of South Fulton's city council districts
{{authority control Geography of Fulton County, Georgia Cities in Georgia (U.S. state) Cities in Fulton County, Georgia Populated places established in 2017 2017 establishments in Georgia (U.S. state)