During the 2018 legislative session Senate Bills 262 and 263 laid out the process by which a new city of Eagles Landing could be carved out of what is currently Stockbridge in Henry County. Sponsored by Sen. Rick Jeffares (R-McDonough) and carried by his replacement Sen. Brian Strickland (R-McDonough) (Jeffares resigned to run for Lt. Governor), the bill had the tacit support of the governor as it narrowly made it out of the Senate, through the House, and onto the November ballots.
Opposition to the referendum sprung up almost immediately, with Stockbridge leaders such as state Sen. Emanuel Jones (D-Stockbridge) pleading for a veto from Deal, and when that didn’t come to fruition organizing opposition to the ballot measure ahead of Tuesday’s midterms. Multiple lawsuits were filed by Stockbridge officials, who questioned the legality of the legislation and argued that it would devastate the city’s finances. Some 50 percent of the city’s tax base would have been lopped off to form Eagles Landing.
Those suits were thrown out of every court they were introduced in however, as the legislation was found to be in perfectly good order, and the proposed city’s fate would be decided on Tuesday by the very residents who would call it home.
In what was a surprise to many, said residents strongly came out against the creation of a new city, with some 57 percent voting ‘No’ on the ballot referendum. Stockbridge officials, Mayor Anthony Ford chief among them, were thrilled at the results but were quick to mention how they would attempt to bring Eagles Landing supporters back into the fold.
Said Ford, “Those individuals that I know were part of the Eagles Landing research committee, I will make a phone call to them to set up an appointment as well as the city staff to have conversations about how to best mend the community.”
“I’m still disappointed that Gov. Deal signed the bills, but signing off as late as he did, that caused it to come in the November referendum as opposed to May. That allowed us all summer long to get out there and educate the voters and citizens on factual information and allowed the ballot committee to do their thing. For all the success of tonight was because we could go out there and educate the voters as to what’s right.”
