Johns Creek (population approximately 62,049) is an area of Fulton County, Georgia which will become incorporated as a "city" (the only type of municipality in the state) on December 1, 2006. It is named for the body of water that runs through the area. According to special legislation passed by the Georgia General Assembly in March 2006 and signed by the Governor of Georgia in April 2006, the city will be created out of the entire unincorporated eastern part of northern Fulton County, bounded by Roswell to the west and south, Alpharetta to the northwest, Forsyth County to the north, and Gwinnett County to the east. Johns Creek will become the state's tenth-largest city.

History of Johns Creek, Georgia

It was proposed that the northeast portion of Fulton County would be incorporated into a new city, as part of municipalization of northern Fulton County. While the name of the Ocee community or even the Warsaw community (both in use since the early days of Milton County) had been proposed, "Johns Creek" had also been put forth, as the body of water it is named for (originally "John's Creek" with an apostrophe) is a significant tributary of the Chattahoochee River that runs through the heart of the area. Legislation had also been introduced that would have called the area "Riverside", but there is already a Riverside, Georgia in the southern part of the state.

The main purpose of the drive to incorporate the Johns Creek area was as part of the complete municipalization of Fulton County, which includes most of the city of Atlanta and awkwardly stretches across the metropolitan Atlanta area from north to southwest, having taken its parts from three other counties.

The referendum to incorporate the area was held on July 18, 2006, with only residents of the Johns Creek area (and not adjacent cities or the remainder of the county) eligible to vote. In relation to this referendum, the city of Milton will also be created in December 2006 further northwest in northern Fulton County. Prior to the referendum, in the southwest portion of Johns Creek, a few hundred residents in the area of Newtown unsuccessfully petitioned for annexation into nearby Roswell, as they did not wish to wait for the formation of a new city. Such annexation would have further reduced the new city's tax base.

At the opposite end of the county, the cities of South Fulton and Chattahoochee Hills Country have also passed the legislature and been signed by the governor, but will not vote until 2007. Unlike Milton and Johns Creek there was in fact little or no local news coverage nor public push to create those cities — their only purpose is complete municipalization of the county and elimination of the county commission by default. This comes in the wake of 2005's incorporation of Sandy Springs, which was already a very developed city of over 80,000 people. All incorporations are using the same temporary suspension of state law which requires any new city's boundaries to be at least three miles (5km) from any existing city.

Government of Johns Creek, Georgia

A mayor and six city council members (elected at-large or citywide) will make up the city's governmental structure, along with a city manager (appointed by the mayor), a city attorney, a city clerk, a city tax collector, a city accountant (nominated by the mayor and ratified by the city council), and an executive aide.

Mike Bodker, 40, who led the successful citizen effort to create the new city of Johns Creek, will become its first mayor in December 2006. Bodker, who is a partner in a business consulting firm, has no prior political experience.

In recent years there had been growing animosity by those in affluent north Fulton County over tax revenue needed in the less-developed southwest section of the county, as well as over excessive land development and zoning, and other issues of local control. Because of the July 18 referendum, active political discussions regarding the re-forming of Milton County out of north Fulton (the area in which the City of Johns Creek will reside) have been revisited. This is partly due to the fact that as of December 1, 2006, there will be no area of the northern portion of Fulton County left unincorporated.

Where is Johns Creek?

Advertise with Us | Contact Us

Copyright © 2006 Johns Creek Trading, LLC All rights reserved.