WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 28th February, 2023) A Georgia State Senate panel advanced two bills allowing Atlanta's Buckhead neighborhood to separate from the city, the chamber's press office said on Monday.
The State and Local Governmental Operations Committee passed two bills on the matter, the press office said via Twitter.
The first bill, SB 113, related to the formation of municipal corporations "so as to provide for the transition of services and facilities" from an existing municipality to a newly incorporated one, an official summary said.
The other bill, SB 114, incorporates Buckhead City, providing a charter, boundaries and powers for the municipality.
The effort comes amid concerns about crime and lack of law enforcement in Atlanta, which prompted residents of the city's more affluent areas to attempt to separate and create their own municipal services, such as police.
The measures are opposed by Atlanta's business community and Democratic lawmakers, who claim separation would not stop criminals from coming to the area and could weaken the remaining parts of the city.
