Buckhead Lawmaker Flexes Muscle In Effort to Shrink Fulton County Government

The bill’s supporters argue homeowners need tax relief. Lindsey also says Fulton County government is bloated and doesn’t need the tax revenue.

“What we are trying to do here is lower the footprint of Fulton County government given the fact that over 90 percent of the county is municipilized.” 

Democrats, however, uniformly voted against it. 

“There is no discernible issue with Fulton County government operations but there is an absolute effect on Grady Hospital if this bill passed,” says Minority Leader Stacey Abrams (D – Atlanta).

Abrams argues the loss in revenue (an estimated $50 million) would decimate the county’s ability to fund Grady Hospital, public libraries, and senior services.

Nonetheless, the Republican majority of Fulton’s legislative delegation supported the bill.

Lindsey says that should have ended the debate, noting the legislature historically supports the wishes of local delegations, regardless of party.

In the case of HB 541, that didn’t happen.

In response, Lindsey took the unusual procedural step of retracting already-approved local legislation – seven bills in total concerning places like Albany and Macon.

“My hope is, by doing this and by putting everything back on the table, is everyone will take a breath and see that local delegations’ desires should be honored.”

Abrams called the move unprecedented.

“We have never had it such that other local legislation was held hostage because people refused to vote up or down on a specific bill,” said Abrams. “I’m very disappointed by [Lindsey’s] actions and by the fact that the House was put in such a terrible position.”

Abrams argues Democrats were within their right to vote against the bill.

In any event, Lindsey now wants a floor vote on a single bill combining the homestead exemption legislation with the retracted local measures.