The Georgia Republican Party has announced that eight “advisory questions” will appear on the May 24th GOP primary ballot for voters to answer. Questions deal with border security, education, media platforms that censor candidates, work visas, biological males who compete in female sports, election issues and Buckhead cityhood.
The secession of the Buckhead district from the city of Atlanta has been a controversial topic for months, but enabling legislation died in the General Assembly a few weeks ago. Cityhood advocates, however, vow to keep up their crusade and hope that in January key state lawmakers and the governor will be more sympathetic to legislation allowing residents of the affected area an up-or-down vote on cityhood.
The ballot question will read: “Crime has dramatically increased throughout the country including in our capital city of Atlanta. Should the citizens of residential areas like the Buckhead community of Atlanta be allowed to vote to create their own city governments and police departments?”
Buckhead City Committee CEO Bill White says, “We are very much looking forward to receiving this important feedback from our fellow Georgians across the entire state. We often hear how Buckhead has lost many visitors as families tell us they no longer feel safe coming from Athens, Blue Ridge, Gainesville and across the state to celebrate, dine, shop and visit for special family occasions or even for business. The results of this ballot question will be even more significant to share for the Georgia Legislature as they decide putting Buckhead City on the ballot for May or November 2023.”
White also wishes Georgia Democrats would put the same question on their party primary ballot, but that won’t happen.
Niko Karatassos, owner of Buckhead Life Restaurant Group, which includes the well-known restaurants Kyma & Chops, says, “It’s not a Democrat issue. It’s not a Republican issue. This is a safety issue. These people, along with myself, will continue to support the Buckhead City Committee as long as it’s willing to fight.”
By the way, the advisory questions that will appear on the Republican primary ballot were solicited from members of the party’s state committee and then approved by the GOP state executive committee headed by Chairman David Shafer.
