I am opposed to forming the city of Sharon Springs in south Forsyth County. There is no doubt about this in the minds of my family and the one or two other people in the county that know me.

Some of my reasons for opposing the city include more government, more rules, more taxes and the probability that the city will be unable to fix anything. These are only potential problems.

Conversely, the proponents of the new city have some very valid concerns. Overcrowded schools and excessive traffic are two major problems cited by the Sharon Springs Alliance on its website. These are real problems.

I am also aware of concerns by others regarding cronyism and commissioners voting their own interests. I share these concerns. If they are real problems, we have to deal with them.

Does it make sense to form a new government entity to deal with these issues? It seems illogical at best.

Development will continue in the city or outside the city, subdivisions will continue to be built, traffic will increase and schools will continue to be crowded.

Eliminating higher density housing in the city limits won’t reduce traffic, as most traffic is the result of motorists passing through the area. The school board will have to continue assigning students to schools to minimize crowding. 

Balkanizing the county with a new city will weaken the county and dilute resources. City residents may even see reduced county services.

We should work with the government we have to address the county’s issues. State Sen. Mike Williams has proposed a change to the county commission which would add an elected chairman.

Without discussing the merits of this proposal, it is the approach we should take in managing our county. Let’s work at improving our government at the county level rather than forming another bureaucracy.

We should ask Mr. Dudgeon to remove HB 660 from consideration by the legislature when it convenes. The new city issue will only be a distraction to solving the real issues facing Forsyth County.

Paul Mayville

Alpharetta