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County brass draws curtain on tax debate By ALEXANDER POPP alex@appenmedia.com
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Johns Creek City Councilwoman Stacy Skinner applauds during a ceremony Sept. 12 recognizing September as Mental Health and Suicide Awareness and Recovery Month. Johns Creek is one of a growing number of cities expanding efforts to promote mental health strategies in the community. Read story, Page 3
ATLANTA — It appears that if Fulton County and its 15 municipalities are to reach a deal over how to divvy up billions of dollars in future sales tax revenue, the bargain will be struck behind closed doors. At a scheduled negotiation session Friday in Atlanta – which had been billed as a public discussion – representatives from Fulton County sequestered themselves from the public and about a dozen mayors, and left word they would not bargain in an open meeting. Mediator Barry Fleming told the city negotiating team that the county representatives came close to leaving on Friday before discussions could even begin. He said the county team’s position was that if negotiations were to take place, they would need to happen privately. “The Georgia Open Meetings Law allows the mediation process as an exception for the doors to be shut for private discussions to be had, because the law recognizes that quite often mediations have more success that way,” Fleming said. “[They argued] Your insistence that it began this way is not in the best good faith.” Alpharetta Mayor Jim Gilvin later said the city negotiating team felt disappointed the county changed the terms of their agreement at the last minute and choose not to face the public for the negotiations. “It’s hard to have productive negotiations when one partner refuses to make commitments that they’ll follow,” Gilvin said. “However, it’s something we’re growing used
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